Get It Back to Good
by KissofJudas
Summary: It's barely been a month since he left Inaba. Only a few days since school started in the city. And Yu Narukami can't stand another moment here-but he can't find a way to escape. And all he really wants is to see his friends...his best friend. And to make this horrible twisting in his chest stop every time he thinks about him. (Title borrowed from Matchbox 20.) Eventual Yu/Yosuke.
1. Chapter 1

_Saturday April 14th – Cloudy – Afternoon_

"Narukami!"

Yu's head snapped up and out of the TV world his mind had been in. Which one had he been walking through this time? _Nanako's. It has to be._ There was a certain calm he still felt when he remembered that one, even though at the time, he'd been anything but calm.

"I...sorry, Yamada-sensei. What was the question?"

His English teacher sighed. "Have you been listening at all? Right, stand up, on your feet."

Yu pushed himself up from his desk, staring ahead at the board behind the teacher. English. Why did he have to be spacing out in English?

"Fill in the appropriate phrase for this sentence. 'I had no idea that you were planning to come—you...what, me?' Use the base verb, 'to warn.'"

Yu's mind raced for anything close to the appropriate answer. _Damn... Think hard, Narukami... Okay, pretend someone's come to visit. ...oh, Rise, I had no idea you were planning to come... you..._

"Should have warned me?" Yu offered, hopeful.

"Mmm, lucky guess. Yes, you could say that they 'should have' warned you, or they 'might have' warned you. Sit down, and try to at least look like you're paying attention next time?"

"Sorry, Sensei." Yu slid back into his seat, trying to ignore his classmates' eyes on him. It wasn't that he wanted to be ignoring the class; even if English was one of his best subjects, it was one he liked learning about. But...

The seat next to him was empty. Behind him was a girl who thought she knew absolutely everything, and would not hesitate for a second to prove to Yu that she was smarter than him. Diagonally ahead to his right was a young man who paid even less attention than Yu managed to muster, and the teachers all seemed to forget he existed.

None of it was right. None of it felt right.

The bell rang, and school was finally over for the day. Had he really only been back in the city for a little under a month? School had only been in session for a week and already it felt like he'd spent his whole life in this place...and not in the way his parents had insisted it would feel. _Two more weeks until Golden Week. ...Not that I'll be able to go anywhere._

On instinct, his hand went to his pocket, taking out his phone and flipping it to see the screen. Nothing. It was the beginning of school back in Inaba as well, after all. His friends were probably busy getting used to their new classes and schedules. Rise was back in the idol world, and though she'd consistently been texting him ever since he'd left town, she'd gotten quiet in the last week or so. The news confirmed that her tour was slated to be underway soon, so he didn't imagine he'd hear from her for a while.

Still. Didn't anyone...?

He snapped the phone shut, shaking the thoughts from his mind. Of course his friends missed him. He could still remember them running after the train as they left. Remembered their constant texts over the next week. Remembered the conversations he'd had with some of them, often late at night when they couldn't sleep.

But now...

"Hey, Narukami." Yu's head lifted again to see a young man leaning just inside the doorway of his classroom, giving him a strange look. "Class is over. Go home."

"O-oh. Right. Sorry." _Go home. I wish I could._ He stood, grabbed his bag, and headed out of the building.

_After School - Evening_

The walk from his school in the city back to his house was so radically different. No one walking with him, nowhere to go after school. He hadn't joined any of the clubs; how could he? He could try playing soccer, but the few times Daisuke had tried to teach him some moves, he'd fallen on his ass. By the end of the year, he'd proved passable at basketball, but there was no way he could bring himself to play without Kou there to back him up. He'd never learned to play an instrument, so band was out, and just thinking about plays brought Yumi back to mind. Everything had too many memories attached to it.

No riverbank. No shopping district...at least, not like the one in Inaba. There _was_ a Junes, but... Yu swallowed instinctively. He hated going in there. Out of all the places in the city, Junes was the one he absolutely couldn't manage. Every memory he had seemed to trace back there. Meetings in the food court, shopping with the girls, working with Yosuke...

He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe again. He knew he'd miss his friends. He never could have guessed it would hurt this much.

The house was dark and quiet when he got back. Hardly a surprise. Dojima was home for dinner more often than his parents were. He clicked on the light just inside the doorway, and then headed over to his half of the house.

The house his parents had in the city was different than anywhere he'd lived before. The house had been a new purchase when they'd come back from abroad, and was built as if for two families—giving Yu essentially a house of his own. _"It'll give you more of a sense of independence, Yu-kun,"_ he'd heard. _"After all, you'll be on your own soon. It's best if you learn how to fend for yourself now, where at least you have a safety net to catch you if you fall."_

'More of a sense of independence.' It was insulting. They'd barely asked him how his time in Inaba had been, let alone wonder if he knew how to keep a house. He'd known how to do that _before_ he'd left. _If only they'd met Nanako. Talk about ready to live on her own._

The next thought was far from welcome. _And she'd almost had to. Just like Uncle almost did. _It had been bad enough when his uncle had wrecked his car, chasing after Namatame. Yu had been sure they'd find Nanako safe and sound, but when she'd nearly died herself (and, if he was honest, _had_ died briefly)... He hadn't wanted to even imagine Dojima in that house on his own. If somehow Nanako had pulled through and not his uncle...

"Dammit." He'd been convinced there were no more tears to cry, but here he was, messing up his sleeve cuffs all over again. Crying wasn't going to bring them any closer to the city. Crying wasn't going to do anything except give him a headache. And crying over something that _didn't happen_ was even more ridiculous.

He turned on the light in his living space, staring into the empty room. Even with the sofa, the kotatsu (which was still on the table, despite the weather being warm enough to warrant it being put away), his bookshelves...the television...the room still managed to feel empty.

As he did every other time, as he walked past to the kitchen, he set his fingertips on the screen of the TV, hoping—just hoping—this time something would happen.

And as always, the screen stayed black.

_Just like in my nightmares. Except...this isn't a nightmare._

"I need to make dinner." He wasn't hungry and there wasn't anyone to say that to, but somehow he found it easier to focus if he said it anyway, as if Nanako or Dojima was around to hear him. Maybe it was normal, and maybe it was the fog finally getting into his brain. Who knew. It didn't really matter.

"What should I make, Nanako?" It was little more than a whisper, but it still make his heart ache. Opening the fridge door, he sighed. There wasn't much. He'd need to go shopping soon. _One more thing she's not here to do._ "Mmm. Maybe I'll just make ramen." As he reached for an egg to cook in with the noodles, his hand passed a block of tofu—_How'd you know I can't eat tofu? Wow, that's considerate of you—_and he froze.

"Ganmodoki." It was relatively easy to make at home, though he knew it wouldn't come close to the ganmo they'd gotten from Marukyu the day they all met Rise. But... "It'll freeze well, in case they don't get home. Yeah. I'll make ganmo." He picked up the tofu—

_Ring-ring~_

"My...phone?" No, it was the house phone. The land line connected to both sides of the house, in case a call came in for him—or at least, so said his mother. _Not that anyone would call me at this number... I suppose I'll answer anyway, just in case._ He set the tofu on the counter, then picked up the handset, heading back to the kitchen. He could talk on the phone and make ganmo at the same time. "Good evening, Narukami residence."

There was a pause, and then a familiar low chuckle at the end of the line. "Well, now that's not the voice I expected to hear."

Yu had to think fast before dropping the phone, the skillet, or both. "Uncle!"

"It's good to hear you, Yu. I was actually calling to speak to my sister. Is Kyoko in?"

He shook his head, arranging ingredients in front of him—then remembered his uncle couldn't see him. "N-no, Mother's out. Both of my parents are. I'm sorry you missed them; I'll have to tell her you called. I'm sure she'll want to talk to you."

That got a heartier laugh from Dojima. "You sure we're talking about the same Kyoko? Pass along I called, but don't worry too much about it. Guess you're used to telling people no one's home, aren't you? Wish I could have taught you something a little more useful." Yu found himself smiling, though he couldn't place quite why. "So, how are you adapting to life back in the city? Must be...well, maybe not more exciting than the Inaba you saw, but still. Everything going well?"

_Except that I don't want to be here...? _"Yeah, everything's going well. Yasogami teaches at a faster rate for some of my classes, so I'm keeping ahead in a few subjects." It wasn't a complete lie, though just in the week he'd been back, he was coming close to running that buffer zone empty.

"Well that's good to hear. Not that I'm surprised; you seemed to keep up with your schoolwork just as well as you did everything else while you were here. Your parents must be impressed." Yu made a non-committal sound, aiming to sound at least like he agreed. It must have worked, because Dojima continued. "Fitting back in with your old friends? They must have missed you."

_If they have, no one's mentioned it._ "Yeah. It's been nice. I wasn't here long before I went to Inaba either, but they seem to remember me." At least, they all knew his name. But that didn't mean much.

"Good. I was a little worried. I know your mom's mentioned she gets concerned about you making friends, what with how often you've had to move. I don't know why she was worried, though; you made friends here easily eno—" Dojima's voice cut off, and in the background, Yu could hear Nanako.

"You got him? I wanna say hi! Let me talk to big bro too!"

Dojima chuckled, and Yu's smile came back to his lips. "All right, all right. Here, I'll hand you over to Nanako." Then to her, "Give me the phone back when you're done, okay? I still have a few questions for him."

"Okay, Dad," Nanako replied, and then her voice grew clearer as she turned to the phone. "Hi, big bro! I missed you so much!"

Yu's cheeks were starting to hurt. It'd been a while since he smiled like this. _Probably about a month...back on the platform at Yasoinaba. _"I've missed you too. Hey, guess what? I'm making dinner, and you know what it is?"

"Umm..." Nanako thought for a moment. "An omelette?"

Yu laughed. "No, but that would have been a good choice too. I'm making ganmodoki, like from the tofu shop in Inaba."

She gasped. "I haven't had that before! I wish you could make me some."

_Oh Nanako, I wish I was cooking for you too._ "I wish I could too. It freezes pretty well; maybe I'll bring you some when I come to visit."

"Yay!" The clouds were gone from her voice. "When are you visiting, big bro? Can you come have a picnic with us for Golden Week?"

That was a stab in the chest he'd expected, though his eyes drifted to the calendar anyway. He'd genuinely hoped to be able to make it back, even for just a little of Golden Week. He still had the money saved for the train ticket; that had been set aside before he'd even left Inaba. He'd been able to balance quite a few part time jobs, after all. The higher prices of the holiday season weren't an issue. His parents, however...

"I'm going to try. No promises, though. I still have a lot of schoolwork to catch up on, from the year I was gone." It hurt to tell even the slightest lie to Nanako, but he didn't want to burden her with the truth, either. Especially when she might not understand.

Hell, _he_ didn't understand.

"Okaaay. You _did _promise to come visit and play with me, though!"

"I did, and I still promise I will as soon as I can. Hey, tell me about how school is going for you." He let Nanako fill his mind as he made the dinner by rote. It was almost enough that if he closed his eyes, he could pretend she was here. ...Though if he actually closed his eyes, he'd burn himself for sure. He'd have to settle for metaphorically closing his eyes.

"Big bro? Dad wants to talk to you again. But I'll talk to you again soon, okay?" The closing remark brought Yu back to the present.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Stay safe, Nanako. I'll talk to you again soon."

"You too! Love you, big bro!"

"I love you too."

There was a shuffle, and an amused Dojima came back on the phone. "Sorry about her tirade about school there."

"No, it's fine. I asked her to tell me. It's been quiet in the house; it's good to hear someone, even if it's just daily life talk like that." Yu took the first few ganmo out of the skillet, then on a whim put a few more on. _It doesn't hurt to cook up a few more, for tomorrow._ That put the question of lunch out of the picture. Good, one less thing to think about.

"Ah, I bet. Parents still out at work most of the time?"

"Yeah. They're keeping busy. I don't mind. I'm used to keeping myself occupied." He mentally smacked himself as soon as the words left his mouth, and prayed that Dojima didn't take the offense he rightfully could at that.

The laugh from the other end of the line reassured him. "I guess I'm to blame for that, too! Hah, good to know I've been such a positive influence in your life. Don't let me get too big of a head, huh?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle... I didn't mean..."

"I'm not mad, Yu. You know as well as I that you didn't exactly see me at my best last year." The older man's voice had grown softer, a tone that Yu remembered well from long talks at the kitchen table. "Anyway, I heard Nanako ask you about Golden Week. Have you made any plans yet?"

"I...well..." He sighed. "No."

"Mmm. Parents taking you somewhere?"

"No, as far as I know, they're staying home. I heard Mother talking the other day about discussing placement tests and universities."

There was a beat, and for a split second, Yu was afraid the phone had dropped the call. When Dojima spoke again, he sounded decidedly unimpressed. "Over Golden Week? Man, and I thought I was the workaholic of the family." He sighed, a rumble in the back of his throat. "Tell your mom I said to give you a break, okay? Universities aren't going anywhere. It's not every day you get a week off."

Yu managed a chuckle, though there wasn't much mirth behind it. "I think they just want me to keep my sights focused on the city. They say there's more opportunities for me out here." The silence that fell as he finished the sentence betrayed what they both thought of that particular line of interest. "B-but I'm pretty sure I'll be good to come visit over the summer break. Maybe even in May, too. They can't expect me to take tests then, too." _At least, I hope not._

"Mmm. I know my sister and her husband mean well, but I hoped this over-protective streak would have worn off by now. Tell you what, I've changed my mind. Tell Kyoko to give me a call whenever she gets back in. It's been too long since I talked to my sister. I may be her little brother, but I think I've got a pretty good handle on this whole parenting thing now."

Yu swallowed. "Don't go getting me in trouble, now."

"Don't worry. I'll keep it strictly intellectual." Yu could hear a small smile returning to Dojima's face. "Well, I think Nanako's dinner is almost ready, so I'm sure you've got...what did I hear her say? Ganmodoki waiting for you?"

"Oh, yeah. It's just about done here too." Yu finally managed another smile. "Thank you for calling, Uncle. It was good to hear from both you and Nanako."

"Feel free to call anytime too, you hear? It's good to hear from you. Take care. And if you can make it to Inaba, any time, you know your room is waiting for you."

"Yeah. Thanks, Uncle. You too." The line went dead, and Yu set the phone down. For a moment afterward, he couldn't make himself move—and when he finally did, he flicked the heat under the skillet off with a grumble. _My parents are adults. They can fend for themselves. In their own house. _The rest of the ganmo went into the freezer, leaving a portion for him now and one to keep in the fridge for lunch.

Once the food was safely put away, Yu stumbled back until he hit the wall, crossing his arms over his stomach and squeezing his eyes shut. Nothing in his life made sense anymore. No Personas, no Shadows, no Nanako and Dojima, no friends... School that made no sense, parents who made no sense, an empty apartment... Just when he'd finally felt comfortable and happy, he'd had to move back to the city. Back in with people who didn't know him, calling themselves his parents or not. Back to quiet, unobtrusive, unremarkable Yu Narukami.

_Back to being alone. The one thing I hate being more than anything._

_Ding-dong~_

Yu froze, his eyes snapping open. _The doorbell?_ His parents couldn't have locked themselves out...right? _No...this is at **my **front door. Who...? _With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the wall and made his way to the door.

And as soon as it opened, his heart stopped.

"Hey there, partner."


	2. Chapter 2

_Saturday April 14th – Cloudy – Night_

Yu couldn't believe his eyes. There was no way that standing right in front of him, in the middle of the city, what felt like a thousand kilometers from everyone he knew and missed...that there was any way this particular city boy should be standing in front of him.

Said misplaced city boy crossed his arms, flicking a stray hair out of his face. "Well, that's quite a welcome. Hi Yosuke, how have you been? What are you doing here? It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you; what have you been up to? Why don't you come in? Oh, thanks Yu, I really appreciate it." The brunet laughed. "Man, only a month back in the city, and you've already forgotten about me? I see how it is."

That snapped Yu back to the land of the able-to-talk-people. "I—no, I just—come in. How did you...when..." He stepped away from the door, incapable of picking a sentence to start with.

"Oh good, so you do still talk. Got me worried there." Yosuke stepped in, slipping out of his shoes and looking around. "Man, sweet place you have here. It's like you have a whole house to yourself." Yosuke glanced over his shoulder. "Um...I mean, that's what I'm guessing, from what it looks like outside. Is that where your parents live, next door? Kinda cool setup, honestly."

"Yosuke...how..." Yu shook his head, forcing his brain to slow down enough to talk. "How did you know where I lived?"

"Duh, I still talk to Nanako-chan and Dojima-san. They've got your address." Yosuke tilted his head, stretching his neck as he let his school bag fall to the floor. "Sorry I got here so late. The train schedule to get out here was kinda weird. I may...have missed a bit of school to get out here even this early." Yosuke gave Yu a wink, and Yu's brain spiraled out of control again. _He's actually here. This is actually Yosuke._ _What...? _"But don't worry. I told Chie I had something to take care of, and she's going to take notes for me. And if that doesn't work, I'll just ask Yukiko what I missed. It'll be fine."

"I...see." Eloquent to the end, was Yu Narukami. "Um..." He blinked a few times, and then the lingering smell of oil in the air brought him back to something like the person he expected himself to be. "You've been on the train all afternoon. Have you eaten? I just made ganmodoki. There's plenty for both of us."

"Dude, you cooked for two and you didn't even know I was coming? And something I can eat, even? That's pretty impressive, even for you. Hell, you could have cooked anything and I'd give it a shot. Never had something you made I didn't like. Serve 'em up! I'm starving."

Yu nodded, gesturing back to the table. "Here, sit down. Make yourself at home. I'm sorry I'm a little flustered. I just...I didn't expect..."

"Hey, it's cool, partner. I would have done the same if you'd suddenly shown up at Junes or something. It's so rare I see you this off your game, it's kinda nice to know something still surprises you." Yu could hear the grin on Yosuke's face, even as his back was turned as he got the ganmo onto plates. "So how's the big city treating you? Happy to be away from Inaba?"

"It's...different." He came back with two plates and a couple pairs of chopsticks. "I don't remember it being this loud."

Yosuke laughed. "Yeah, I guess after a year in Inaba, the roar of the city must be deafening. Still, even now, there's things I miss about a city this big. Okina's nice, but it's still kinda far away and it doesn't have everything." He shrugged, flipping one of the chopsticks into the air before settling down to the business of the ganmo. Yu couldn't help but see one of Yosuke's fighting daggers instead, in his mind's eye.

"So...what...I mean, it's good to see you. But...what are you doing here? I mean, it's not a short ride, or a cheap ticket," Yu finally managed to ask.

"Hm? Oh." Yosuke swallowed the bite he was working on and gave Yu a grin. "I just got bored, ya know? And I've been saving for a while now. The month between you leaving and school starting back up, I just kinda took on as many hours at the store as I could. Didn't have too much else to do, right? And I figured I'd be able to put some aside to come visit some day. Well, I guess my dad decided that I was 'taking initiative' or some crap, so I got a bonus just before the school year started. With that, I totally had enough to come out! I mean, it's just for a day and all, 'cause I need to get back to school on Monday. Man, it hardly seems worth it, ya know? But I guess that's the choice I made."

The light went off for Yu on that. "Wait, so you saved up all that money...so you could spend a few hours here in the city...with me? You're going to have to leave mid-afternoon tomorrow to get back to Inaba in time to rest for school on Monday."

"He-ey, there's a sentence long enough to be from the Yu Narukami I remember!" Yosuke grinned, but the smile faded to something softer after a moment. "I know, it's kinda crazy. I just...I know school's only been in session for what, a few days now? But it's not the same without you around. I guess it was kinda a spur-of-the-moment decision. Even if it's just a few hours, that's better than nothing to me. Right?"

That, Yu could answer on instinct. "Right. Absolutely." Finally—_finally—_he got himself to smile like a normal person. "I'm glad to see you, Yosuke. You're right, it already feels like it's been too long."

"Good to hear you say it, partner. Now eat your ganmo before it gets gross. It's really good, by the way. Thanks for the food. Still don't know why you had so much, though."

"Oh." Yu blinked. "I...was on the phone, and just figured it would be enough for lunch tomorrow as well. It's no big deal." _Tomorrow's not a school day anyway. Where was my brain? ...Oh right. Inaba. _"So. Tell me what it's like in that tiny town of yours, now that I'm not there."

"Hah." Yosuke set down his chopsticks, the ganmo already gone. "It's fun and exciting as ever. Everyone's either trying to get into a college or someone's skirt—or both, I guess. Oh, I meant to ask." Yosuke's expression turned a shade more serious. "I hear you and Chie decided not to try for long-distance?"

Yu's eyes dropped to his plate as he nodded. "It's for the best. We called it off before I left." As much as he'd enjoyed being with Chie, and had exceptionally fond memories of the past Christmas, they both knew it wasn't something that could last over that kind of distance—and wasn't likely to last long term regardless. In the end, their personalities were different enough that it wasn't working out as cleanly as they'd hoped. It had been sad, but inevitable.

"Man. I barely knew she'd confessed to you, honestly. But I guess that makes sense. You talked to her at all since you came back here?"

Yu shook his head. "No, I haven't had much of a chance. I've only spoken to a few people."

"Well, I guess as soon as school started back up, Ichijo—you know, from class 2-1? well, I guess it's 3-1 now; man that's weird—anyway, he came up and confessed to her! She accepted, which I mean I suppose is a little quick, and I didn't even know she liked him, but... Man, I don't even know what to think about it. Whatever makes her happy, I guess."

Yu's lips quirked into an amused smile. "Really. Good for Kou."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I guess you knew him, right? I forgot about that stint on the basketball team. Guess you knew he liked her, huh?"

Yu shrugged. "He'd mentioned it. I didn't think he'd actually act on it. I'm glad, though. I think they'll be a well-matched couple."

Yosuke stretched out. "Seems like everyone's got their own matches now. Chie's going out with Ichijo, I guess Ebihara and that soccer player friend of Ichijo's started seeing each other—"

Yu choked. "What? Daisuke and Ebi?"

"Yeah, I dunno man. I don't know either of them really well, but Chie said something about having to spend more time with Ebihara now, because of how well the two guys get along." The brunet spread his hands in an empty gesture. "Don't know details. Oh, but get this." Yosuke leaned forward, a glint in his eyes. "Yukiko confessed to someone."

That got Yu's attention. "Really? She really must be serious about staying with the inn then. Who? Did he accept?"

"Of course he accepted; you've gotta be stupid not to accept a confession from Yukiko Amagi. And get this—it's like the perfect match. She's going out with Saki-senpai's brother."

If Yu's eyes widened anymore, they'd fall out of his head. "Naoki? Really?" Thinking about it, Yosuke was right; it did seem a perfect match. They both had family ties to the area, and had needed to come to terms with wanting to stay around and help the family business. Neither of them were comfortable around large groups of people, but had a quiet sort of passion that was easy to miss. Plus, they both had a wicked sense of humor, once you got to know them. "Huh. I hadn't thought of it, but you're entirely right."

Yosuke's grin widened. "Right? Man, if Saki-senpai and I were going to be some kind of star-crossed lover story, Yukiko and Naoki is the total opposite. Seriously though, they seem really happy about it. It's both kinda cute and totally weird."

"Hmm." Yu smiled. "Anyone else? Seems like everyone paired off as soon as I left. What about Kanji?"

"Hah!" Yosuke cracked up. "Come on, be serious. You think either of them has made a move on the other? Kanji's going to wait until Naoto confesses, and Naoto is never going to get up the nerve to say anything to Kanji because that's the exact opposite of how she rolls. They're totally hopeless." He shook his head. "They _are_ talking more often, though. It's sickeningly adorable, if I'm totally honest. It's so obvious that Kanji's got the hots for her, I kinda just wish one of them would say something. They'd both be happier without that over their heads."

_I wondered why Naoto hadn't mentioned Kanji at all. I wonder if she'd talk to me about it._ "I agree." Yu stretched, finished with his own food, and took the plates back to the kitchen. _I can deal with those later._ "What about you?"

"Huh? What about me?"

"Have you found a girl you'd like to confess to you?" Somewhere, deep inside, Yu wasn't sure he was ready for his best friend to have a girlfriend. Somehow, the rest of this friends having significant others was fine, but... There was something about the bond he'd forged with Yosuke that he wasn't sure wouldn't be changed by the addition of someone else. Not that he thought that Yosuke would forget about him, but... He couldn't describe it.

...at least, not without sounding like a petulant child.

"Nah." And with one word, a huge weight lifted from Yu's chest. "I haven't really given it a huge thought since...well, since Saki-senpai, I guess. I've just been thinking about the case so much, and then I was working at Junes all the time, and now I guess it's just back into school. I may hate it, but I need to pay a little more attention in school now if I want to go to any kind of decent uni. Ugh. I should just stay in Inaba and help manage Junes, like Dad's been talking about." A beat, and then he laughed. "Man. Did you ever think I'd say that?"

"It does seem unlike you." Yu had to smile. It was true, the Yosuke he'd met when he first came to Inaba never would have said that. But it was easier to see how much everyone had changed from the outside. _I wonder if they can see anything like that in me. ...Have I really changed at all?_ "So tell me, Yosuke. You said school has only been in session for a few days. Even for you, that seems like a shorter tolerance than normal."

"What? Come on, dude! Do you even need to ask? It's _school_!" Yosuke groaned. "At least it's not like last year, with King Moron and Kashiwagi. My homeroom teacher is approaching some kind of normal this time."

Yu let Yosuke detail his classes, letting the words fill his brain and block out all the tension from his own school. For the first time since he'd left Inaba, Yu felt like he could relax. If he didn't pay close attention, he could imagine they were sitting in his room at Dojima's house, with the faint noise of Nanako's game show playing downstairs...the soft sound of the coffeemaker as his uncle made drinks for everyone...the dog that always seemed to be barking outside at night, and Yosuke talking about classes. It felt right. It felt _normal._

"Hello? Earth to Yu, you awake in there?"

Yu blinked rapid fire, focusing back in on Yosuke. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Man, I know school's boring, but you're the one who asked. Did you even hear my question?"

Yu's gaze dropped. "No, I'm sorry. I..." He sighed, raising his gaze again to look out the window. "I got wrapped up in thinking that it..." He trailed off, scratching his head.

Yosuke's eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, you know you can tell me anything, right? You're my best friend, partner." He leaned in, elbows on the table. "What's up?"

Yu hesitated, but then glanced back to his friend. "It felt normal, for the first time since I left Inaba. With you here, talking about school..." He shook his head. "Nothing's felt right since I returned. It's strange. I knew my classmates here for a year before I left, and I knew you all for a year, but everyone here... It's like I never existed. I was never close to anyone anyway, but..."

"Hey." Yosuke swatted at him. "For one, you and me and all our friends back at Yasogami went through a hell of a lot more in that year than you did your year here. Right?" Yu managed a faint smile and a nod. "And two...thanks, man." Yosuke grinned. "I know it's weird, but it's really good to hear you say that."

"Say...which part, exactly?" Yu's head tilted.

"That this feels normal." He gestured between the two of them. "I'm not gonna lie, there was a part of me that was really afraid that after you went back here...you wouldn't look back." Before Yu could protest, Yosuke put a hand up. "I know, I know. I didn't mean that you'd forget about us, I just..." He crossed his arms. "I know how I felt, when I moved to Inaba. I wanted to get back to a city more than anything. I never really thought you felt that same way, especially by the time you left, but...I guess you're just pretty hard to read still, partner." The brunet gave him an honest smile. "I'm never quite sure with you."

Yu managed a smile back, though it felt like his heart was breaking. _They can't read me... I can't say I'm surprised. Of all of them, I'm the one who never had his Shadow truly revealed. How could they ever think...?_ "Did the others...?" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"What, think the same? I never asked, but I think we all kinda wondered. I'm not exactly proud to say I doubted you, but..." Yosuke scratched his head. "Well, you've pretty much seen all the parts of me I'm not proud of; what's one more?" Yosuke laughed, and Yu's smile widened to match. "Anyway, back to the question I asked that you didn't hear. I was wondering when you were going to be able to get back for a visit. I know it's kinda soon, but there's no chance you'll snag some time during Golden Week...is there?"

The smile faded, and Yu sighed. "I don't know. I want to, and I have the money for the ticket. I just..." He glanced at the door.

Yosuke's eyes followed. "What, your parents? Why would they have a problem with it?"

"They want me focused on my future." He couldn't help the bitterness in his voice. "Looking at colleges, studying for placement exams, thinking of a future job."

"And...you have to do that over Golden Week?" Yosuke's eyebrows raised.

"I don't think it's about Golden Week." Yu let his gaze match his friend's, knowing that for all his lack of focus in school, Yosuke wasn't stupid.

Sure enough, Yosuke's face twisted in a grimace. "Oh, come on, man. You're serious? And you're just supposed to pretend you didn't live somewhere else for a year? Didn't make friends? Just totally abandon everything?"

"My father was born and raised in Tokyo. Small towns are places for..." Yu winced, but finished the sentence, despite his better judgment. "...unimportant people to live."

"Unim-_portant_...!" Yosuke sputtered.

Yu held up a hand. "That's what he thinks. And my mother..." He shook his head. "My mother loves her brother, and is grateful that I had somewhere to live last year. But Inaba isn't a 'real' place to her. It's just that tiny town where her brother decided to waste his life. It's not a place for someone with a future." Yu couldn't keep looking at Yosuke. "It was a nice experience, but now it's time to look for something real."

"You've got to be kidding." Yosuke's complaint met silence, and he stood up. "Come on, man! There's no way you can just let them do that to you! So what, they're just going to keep you locked up here the whole school year?" When Yu still didn't answer, Yosuke groaned. "Yu..."

"Trust me, I'm not happy about it, and I'm not giving up," he finally murmured. "They don't...they _won't_ understand. They won't listen." Yu stood as well, moving to sit on the couch. "Would you believe, they never asked me about my year?"

The brunet was agape. "You're kidding! Not once?"

Yu shook his head. "They picked me up at the station, told me they were so thrilled to finally have me back in the city, and they just couldn't wait to tell me all about their year abroad. As if there was nothing at all that could have happened in Inaba to be worth mentioning."

"Well, I mean that's probably true of a normal year, but...to not even ask? I don't get your parents, man."

"Neither do I." He stared across at the blank television. _Hey, have you guys heard that rumor about watching a TV on a rainy day?_ A voice calling to him, the screen rippling like a pool of water disrupted by a stone...

"Hey." Yu's head lifted at the sound of Yosuke's voice. "Have you ever...?" He nodded to the TV. "I mean, who even knows where you'd end up from all the way out here, but..."

Yu shook his head. "It doesn't work. I can't go through. It was probably just the TVs in Inaba." He tilted his head. "Can you all still go through?"

Yosuke shrugged. "We could for a while, but I guess it wore off or something. Ted can still come through and go back, but that's probably because he's from over there. There's really nothing to do over there anymore anyway. It's really pretty, but that's about it. If I just want nice scenery, I can go up to the overlook hill." Yosuke sat down on the floor near the couch. "That sucks about your parents though, man. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Unless you can come up with a compelling reason for two business-minded people to agree to let their only son go off to a tiny town you see no worth in, then I'm not sure this is a fight you can help me win." Yu hated the weight of futility that pressed down on him every time he thought about this. He hated feeling trapped.

He _hated_ how alone he was here.

Yosuke snapped his fingers. "What if I say my dad's offering you a management position at Junes? I bet he would too! He was always really impressed when you came to help me out."

Yu gave Yosuke a grateful smile. "Somehow, I don't think Junes is exactly what my parents are thinking of."

"Come on, it's worth a shot, isn't it? I can even say that's why I'm here!" Yu wasn't convinced, but his partner was too fired up to hear argument. "It'll be perfect. Hey, when are they going to be back anyway? It's like being back at Dojima-san's."

"You aren't the first to make that connection..." Yu murmured.

Just as he finished, he heard the door to his parents' house open and close. "Yu-kun? You awake? We're home!" his mother called.

Yosuke was already on his feet, eyes desperate. "Come on, partner. Let me at least try."

Yu sighed. "All right. It can't do any harm."

_And hey, if my parents meet a friend of mine from Inaba, they have to at least acknowledge that the last year happened, right...?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Saturday April 14th – Cloudy – Night_

Yu led Yosuke over to the other house, trying to think of how he was going to explain this once they got there. He'd never had a guest over, and certainly not one this late at night. Did his parents care about guests? _They seem to care about everything else I do..._ He took a breath and slid open the door adjoining the two houses and stepped through.

"Welcome home," he intoned to the house at large.

A few seconds later, his mother stepped out and gave him a smile. "Oh good, you are awake, Yu-kun." She was still dressed for work, in her black slacks and blazer over a pastel blouse. Her silvering black hair was pulled up out of her face in a messy bun, and her smile only flickered for a moment when she noticed Yosuke behind Yu. "Oh, and you have a guest. I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Is this a friend of yours from school? It's awfully late for company, dear."

"Um, well..." Yu hesitated.

Yosuke jumped on the opportunity, and stepped around Yu to offer a hand to the woman. "I'm sorry for the surprise visit, Mrs. Narukami. My name is Yosuke Hanamura. I'm one of Yu's friends from Inaba."

Yu's mother blinked, but shook Yosuke's hand without losing her smile. "Well! That certainly is a surprise. Yu hasn't said a word about his life last year; I hadn't even known he'd made friends. Glad to see my worries were unfounded." She leaned back to call down a hallway. "Michio? Come meet one of Yu-kun's friends. Are you visiting for the weekend, Yosuke-kun? That must have been an expensive train ticket."

Yu bit his tongue hard to keep from commenting on his mother' s word choice about last year. Luckily, Yosuke was holding his own in the conversation, and wasn't giving Yu any time to complain. "Oh, the train was no trouble. My father's a branch manager at the Junes that came to Inaba a little under two years ago now, and I've been working for the store."

"That's nice," his mother mused, and Yu could hear Yosuke's argument losing before he'd even started. Even with Junes being a major company, they were still just a retail chain to his parents.

A moment later, Yu's father stepped out. Yu had heard his whole life that he was the spitting image of his father, and as a younger man, he'd been proud of that. Now, when he looked at the man in front of him with his silver-grey hair and his stormy grey eyes hidden behind glasses that reminded Yu all too much of foggy nights and thunderstorms, all he felt was frustration and pain. Misunderstandings. Miscommunication. "Ah, a guest indeed. Good evening." Yu's father offered his hand.

Yosuke took it in a firm handshake. "Good to meet you, Mr. Narukami. Your son spoke of you both quite highly. It's nice to be able to be able to put a face with a name."

Yu blinked, but otherwise managed to hide his shock. _He's playing them. ...Or at least, he's trying to. I didn't think Yosuke had it in him. I only wish it would work..._

Mr. Narukami chuckled. "Did he now. Well, that's good to know. What's this I hear about Junes?"

"Oh, yes—my father is the branch manager out in Inaba, see. We got transferred in there almost two years ago now; it's unfortunate to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, but we're doing what we can. Anyway, since Yu here was gracious enough to help out when we were short staffed, my father got a feeling for his work ethic. It's more dedicated than most of the people who grew up there, as I'm sure you can imagine. So when he left Inaba, it was a real blow to the store, even with him just as a fill-in employee. So I was sent right back here on a runaway mission to see if I can't convince Yu to return to Inaba and work as an assistant manager, training to work his way up as soon as he leaves high school. Tuition assistance would be available too, I'd imagine. We can't have our managers uneducated."

_Well, he's got them listening._ Yu couldn't tell if his parents were humoring Yosuke, or if they were genuinely listening to his proposal, but with a little polished fast-talk and what was likely some blatant lies, the city boy at least sounded like he belonged near their crowds. Yu couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for his friend. _How could I ever have doubted that they'd miss me?_

"Mmm," his father intoned, nodded. "That's a very flattering proposition. Be sure to pass along to your father when you return that we appreciate the gesture, but that Yu already has several lucrative prospects here in the city, and it wouldn't make much sense for him to leave now." The man turned a smile to Yu, oblivious to his son's shattering world. "Which reminds me, once your guest is gone—I don't want to interrupt your time, of course—I've got some exciting news for you from a couple of my coworkers. These could really be something."

"Thanks," Yu managed to reply, and gave his father a slight bow. "If you'll excuse us, Yosuke's had a long journey and we ought to get our rest."

"Oh of course, of course," his mother replied, fluttering over to kiss Yu's hair. "That train must have taken _ages_ to get here from all the way out there. You two rest. We can talk later, Yu-kun."

"Good night, Mother." The two younger men both bowed as they left, and Yu made a beeline back to his front door.

Once the door had shut, Yosuke's polite facade fell. "Wow, your parents are kinda assholes."

"I know." Yu's fists clenched. _Prospects... If they're from Father's coworkers, they'll be doctors. Lawyers. Accountants. Nothing I want any part of. I saw Sayoko's job, and I don't want it. I saw what the doctors at Inaba Memorial had to go through, and I don't want it. ...Dammit._

"And man, I thought I had them for a second, until your dad completely dismissed me. And I thought talking to my dad was bad." There was a beat of silence, and then Yu felt Yosuke's hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, partner. Thanks for letting me try anyway."

Yu took a deep breath, forcing his hands to relax as he nodded and turned to Yosuke. "I'm glad you did. I thought they were listening for a moment as well. I should have known better than to get my hopes up." He opened his mouth to change the subject when a distant sound from his room interrupted him. _What...?_

"What?" Yosuke asked, following Yu's line of sight.

"I thought I heard something." The sound repeated, and Yu finally placed it. "My phone. I must have left it in my bag." He ducked into his room, fishing the phone out and walking back with it, bringing up the message on the screen.

_GOOD EVENING. DID HE MAKE IT THERE SAFE?_ it read.

Yu's lips twitched into the beginnings of a smile. "Did you tell anyone you were coming?"

"Huh? No, I figured they'd all get jealous and want to come with, and I didn't think a mass invasion was as good of a surprise. Why? Did someone figure it out?"

"Three guesses on who," Yu responded, tapping back a message. _Yes. Took me by utter surprise. You guessed?_

Yosuke's eyes narrowed as he plopped to sit on the couch, arms folded. "Well let's see. It won't be Chie or Yukiko; they're not that suspicious. Teddie's even worse than them. Kanji wouldn't—oh. It's Naoto, isn't it?"

Yu grinned and nodded. "Yup. Can't hide anything from the Detective Prince."

"Huh. I didn't know you and Naoto talked that much." Yosuke turned to face Yu as he joined Yosuke on the couch. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised that she figured it out, though."

"We usually talk when neither of us can sleep," Yu murmured, another text coming in stealing his attention.

_NOT DIFFICULT. LEFT IN MIDDLE OF SCHOOL, V. SECRETIVE. OBV. HE MISSES YOU MOST. WHERE ELSE WOULD HE GO?_

"You have insomnia?" Yosuke asked.

Yu blinked, then looked up, blinking again. "What? I'm sorry, I didn't... what?" Naoto's words had pulled him up short. _Obviously... Where else..._ A familiar twinge in his chest caught his breath and wouldn't let go, though he still wasn't sure why.

Yosuke's eyes narrowed. "Are you having dirty conversations over there?"

Yu felt his face flush. "Wh-what? N-no, of course not. I just, I was reading at the same time as you spoke, and I must have missed it. I'm sorry."

"I asked if you had insomnia. I didn't know. I've had bouts of it ever since...well, that whole incident, really. You can always text me too, bro."

Yu went to answer—and then heard what Yosuke's tone was saying, where his words were not. "I know I can. She was the one who started the late-night conversations. It's not that I chose her over you."

Now it was Yosuke's turn to looks flustered and flushed. "I didn't say—well okay, maybe I thought it a little, b-but..." He sighed, ruffling his hair. "Man, I don't know how you do that. It's like you read my mind sometimes." He offered a sheepish smile. "I'm glad it's not like that, though."

Yu gave him a smile. "You're the best friend I made in Inaba, Yosuke. You're the one who told me distance doesn't change anything. No matter where we are, we'll always be friends." He offered Yosuke his hand.

After a beat, Yosuke's classic grin found its way to his face, and he shook Yu's hand. "You're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Guess I just made myself paranoid over nothing." He peered forward, trying to see the screen of the phone. "What's Naoto saying, anyway?"

"Just explaining her deductions to me." Yu gave the screen a small smile as he tapped a message back. _I miss you all. Seeing Yosuke just reminds me of that. I can't wait until I can figure out a way to come back._ He'd told Naoto about his parents' reluctance to let him come back to Inaba, and she'd sympathized. Of course, she'd also suggested she could send a police escort and pull him back to Inaba under slightly less than accurate charges, but he'd gently steered her away from falsely arresting him.

"Yu?" Yosuke's voice brought Yu's gaze back up to him, and his friend's eyes were already watching his, concern radiating off of him. "You're really acting weird, man. I know you're kinda quiet, but this seems...I dunno, more quiet than usual."

Yu sighed, setting the phone away from him. "I'm sorry, Yosuke. I..." He let a beat pass before looking back to his friend. "I did face my Shadow, you know. At the very end, in the fight against Izanami."

Yosuke rocked back on his heels, eyes wide. "Whoa, really? You never told us about that."

"It wasn't as dramatic as everyone else's, but... when you all got dragged down, trying to save me from her attacks... I was the last man standing. Everyone else was gone, and I was devastated, certain you'd all been killed. I was alone before her, and as she pulled me down, I knew that in the fog...everyone would still be there. I wouldn't have to come back to the city. I could live in a world exactly the way I wanted." Yosuke crossed his arms, eyes still wide. "It would have been so simple. So easy. And I never would have needed to be alone again. But..." His voice trailed off.

"But what?" Yosuke asked, his voice just above a whisper.

"But then I could hear you all. Everyone I'd made friends with—people from the school, from my part-time jobs, Nanako-chan and Uncle... I could hear you all reminding me of the strength we'd found together. That I had supported you all...and now it was your turn to support me. And I could see my Shadow, reflected like he was in a TV. 'I don't want to think about a life without my friends. I don't want to go back to what I was before; I don't want to be alone again.' That's what it told me. And it was right. For a moment, I almost let my fear get the best of me. I almost gave in, and let myself take the easy path because it meant I wouldn't have to go back to a world where all my friends had been taken from me."

"Yu..." Yosuke sounded choked.

"But I'm never really alone." Yu managed a smile for his friend. "And all of you in that moment reminded me of that. Even if I lost everything...I'd never truly be alone again. And I found my way back to defeat her. And...well, you remember us finding each other in the TV world after that."

Yosuke couldn't speak for a moment, and when he finally could, his voice couldn't decide whether to be angry or pained. "Why don't you ever tell any of us this kind of thing? Dammit, Yu! We're here to support you too—just like you said! So why am I only hearing about this now?"

"It was just before I left. The mood was already a little tenuous; I didn't want to bog it down with something as serious as that."

"And you don't think we were taking you leaving as something serious?"

"That's..." Yu sputtered. "That's not what I mean."

"I know." Yosuke gave an exasperated smile. "We always come talk to you because you're the quiet and calm one. Just don't forget that you can lean on us too. We're all here to protect you, just as much as you protect us."

Yu took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he exhaled. "I know. I think I forget sometimes, even after a year, because you're the first close friends I've ever had. But I know. And I thank you. It truly means the world to me."

"Well good, because you pretty much mean the world to us." Yosuke's grin resurfaced. "Remember what I told you about being special to people? When you say we're special to you, just keep in mind that you're special to us too." Abruptly, a yawn interrupted anything he might have said after that, and both of them laughed. "Man, I guess your parents were right about one thing. I'm beat. You have a spare futon somewhere?"

"I...yeah, let me get it." Yu pushed himself to his feet, heading for the closet he knew his parents had tucked a spare futon so that he could get it set up for Yosuke. Something about this whole night still felt incredibly surreal, and he knew it was going to be a harsh jolt of cold water when Yosuke had to leave again the next afternoon, but for the first time in a while...he felt peaceful. He felt at home in his own house. He felt _normal._

_When you say we're special to you, just keep in mind that you're special to us too._ That twinge came back, and he swallowed hard, trying to push it away. He didn't understand it, but he was starting to get an idea of what it meant, and that...that wasn't something he could deal with right now. That wasn't something he could acknowledge while Inaba was barricaded from him.

_I forgot to tell Mother to call Uncle. I'll have to tell her in the morning. Uncle will understand._ It was late by now anyway. Dojima was probably asleep, and though he was spending more time at home, he was still working hard. Being a detective, even in the sleepy version of Inaba, wasn't easy.

He set up the futon, then came back to Yosuke, who was peering at his own phone. "Something interesting?" Yu asked.

The brunet lifted his head and smiled, shaking his head no. "Nah, just looking at...um, train stuff. Making sure about times and whatever."

"Ah." Yu tried to not let his heart sink too far. "Oh, I have the futon set up."

"Cool." Yosuke grabbed his bag. "I'll go get ready for bed then." As Yosuke headed for Yu's room to get changed and ready for bed, Yu looked at the few dishes they'd dirtied sitting in the sink. _I can clean those tomorrow. After he leaves. They're not that important._ Drifting back, he picked up his phone from where he'd left it earlier, and saw he'd gotten two messages in the meantime.

_FEELING IS MUTUAL FRM ALL. WILL FIND U A WAY BACK. WILL CONVINCE UR UNCLE IF NEEDED. U KNOW I WILL._

Yu smiled. It was true; his uncle wouldn't need much convincing, especially after their conversation earlier. He scrolled to the next message.

_CALL ONCE Y IS GONE? WOULD LIKE 2 TALK. THINKING OF U. GOOD NIGHT._

Though he was fairly certain that Naoto was asleep by now, he sent back a quick _good night_ text in return before pocketing his phone. Yosuke was tucked inside the spare futon by the time he went back to his room, so he changed quickly and slid into his own, trying not to disturb the potentially sleeping brunet.

But as soon as he stilled, Yu could hear a soft voice from his left. "G'night, partner."

Around the lump in his throat, Yu responded. "Good night, Yosuke."

He would sleep well tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sunday, April 15th – Sunny – Morning_

Sunlight was starting to trickle past the blinds and fall on Yu's face by the time he finally stirred. _Damn. What...time is it?_ If he'd horribly overslept and wasted the rest of Yosuke's time here...

He squinted at the clock on the far wall. Nine in the morning. Late for him, but not terrible.

Belatedly, he noticed that the futon that had been next to him was no longer set up, and the young man who had occupied it wasn't in immediate eyesight. Yu blinked a few times, rubbing a hand over his eyes, and sat up. No, his room was empty, and from the looks of it, Yosuke had rolled up the futon and set it next to the closet.

_He didn't...!_ It was too early for the train to have come, right? Of course, Yosuke needed to get back to Inaba for school tomorrow, but nine AM was early even for that long of a ride...

He scrambled to his feet, ignoring his futon in favor of dealing with it later, and made his way into the house proper. "Yosuke?" _Please answer, please oh God please, don't have left already, why would you leave without saying goodbye—i_

"In here, partner," came the reply, and Yu finally breathed again. He was in the office-slash-spare bedroom. Yu took a deep breath before heading into the room, where Yosuke was already dressed with his hands in his pockets, looking at a photograph sitting on a bookshelf. When Yu entered, his gaze got drawn to the door, and Yosuke smiled. "Morning. Hey, you okay? Looks like you got up in kinda a hurry."

Yu blinked, and subconsciously ran a hand through his hair. There was no telling what he looked like, standing there with bed-mussed hair and rumpled pajamas. "I..." _I thought you were gone. I thought you'd left._ He couldn't say that. One, it would offend Yosuke that Yu would have even thought that his partner would leave without saying goodbye. And two, it sounded like...

He couldn't think about that. He _couldn't_ think about that.

Yu finally just shook his head. "Guess I just woke up disconcerted, and then noticed you were already up."

"Oh, sorry. I guess it's not nice to vanish on people, huh? I just didn't want to wake you up." Yosuke turned back to the bookshelf and gestured to a photograph. "You still have this."

"Hm?" Yu stepped forward and looked. "Ah. Of...of course I do." He'd dedicated an entire shelf of the bookcase to objects that reminded him on Inaba. In the center, of course, was the group photo they'd taken not long before he'd left.

"Well, I guess it's not a surprise, just... You framed it." Yosuke seemed oddly touched by it.

"It deserved to be framed." Yu shrugged.

"I guess...wait." Yosuke crouched and peered at the back of the shelf, then let out a squawk of protest. "Why the hell is _this_ in a frame!?" He reached in and pulled out a smaller photograph, looking up at Yu in accusation.

Yu tried to hide the smile behind his hand. It was the cell phone photo he'd taken of Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie while they were at the...suspicious hotel in Tatsumi Port Island. "It deserved to be framed?"

"Like hell it did. Ugh, I can't believe you kept this." But there was still a smile on Yosuke's lips, and he hesitated just a little as he set it back on the shelf. Next to Yosuke's attention was the pair of black glasses, sitting right next to the larger picture. The brunet flopped back to sit cross-legged in front of the bookshelf. "Wow, you have these too. Why's the lens broken? When'd that happen?" Yosuke leaned back to look up at Yu.

An indescribable jolt shot through Yu, and he desperately tried to regain what little composure he seemed to have nowadays. "In the battle with Izanami. I don't know what caused it. It was right at the end...they just cracked and I threw them away. But I found them back in my room when we all got home again. I don't know how it happened, but I decided to hold onto them." Yu slowly lowered himself to sit down as well, trying to keep in a reasonable line of sight for Yosuke without crowding him.

Yosuke nodded, tracing a fingertip over the frames but not picking them up. Most of the rest of the shelf was similar objects: a handful of movie tickets, some of which Yosuke would recognize as movies he'd seen with him; a tucked-away (and decidedly not framed) print of the boys in their 'Miss Yasogami' get-ups; a well-worn script covered in notes that he'd gotten from Yumi just before she'd confessed (Yu still felt bad about that); a letter in an envelope addressed to Kou; a string of beads that could have been made by no one other than Nanako...

Yosuke frowned and reached in, picking up a small object and showing it to Yu. "Um? Not really your style, man."

Yu blinked and looked; it was the compact Ai had given him. "Oh. That's...uh, that's Ebi's. She..." Yu sighed. "It's a long and a little uncomfortable story. You remember how I was dating her briefly?" Yosuke nodded. "It...has to do with that. In a way. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to deflect. Most of the story is just Ebi's to tell and not mine."

"No, that's cool. I get it." Yosuke put it back. "I figured it was something like that." Next was a small watch that lit up when Yosuke pressed one of the buttons. "Oh cool, this is sweet."

Yu suddenly felt his face burn. "That's just...it's nothing really..."

"Out of range? What's that supposed to mean?" Aaaand Yosuke had pressed too many buttons. Now, when Yosuke looked back to Yu as the latter didn't answer, his eyes got wide. "Dude! Now I have to know! What's with the watch?"

"It's...n-nothing." He snatched it out of Yosuke's hands, placing it back gently on the shelf. "J-just a present. It's out of range of its...um." Yu snapped, trying to come up with a word that would make sense. "Base." Yup, nailed it.

"Base?" Yosuke wasn't sold. "What, like a charging station, or a sync fob?"

"Yes." That answer came way too quickly. "Exactly. I left it back in Inaba, and I don't wear it as much now so I never asked for Uncle to mail it to me. It's nothing, really. Just a toy."

"...sure, partner." Thank God, Yosuke dropped the subject. That wasn't a conversation he was ready to have, and certainly not with Yosuke. He wasn't sure how to explain it to himself, and he'd been the one doing it... He mentally shook himself, pushing images of Tatsuhime in the snow away. None of that would do anyone any good.

"So what are we gonna do today, partner?" Again, Yosuke's voice brought him back to the present.

"I...hadn't given it much thought. I know we're working on a somewhat limited timeframe, but...maybe we could roam around the city a little? There's an interesting looking action flick playing at the movie theater, and we might have time enough for that."

Yosuke just grinned. "Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."

_Morning - Afternoon_

They got into the city proper with plenty of time to spare for the matinee, and enjoyed themselves in spite of the (frankly terrible) movie. By the time it was finished, it was just about lunchtime and Yosuke insisted on Yu letting him buy him lunch.

"You've already spent all this money to get out here..." Yu protested, knowing the words would fall on deaf ears.

"Yeah, yeah. So it won't be anything fancy. C'mon, we'll just go get ramen. I saw a shop not too far away."

And so Yu let his best friend drag him to the ramen shop, and it almost felt like they were at Aiya again, but without any promise of a massive beef bowl when it rained or a delivery girl who was terrifyingly good at her job or Daisuke and Kou showing up when you least expected it and...

_Dammit._

"Lost in thought again, man?" Yosuke's voice was soft, understanding.

"Yeah." He poked at his noodles with his chopsticks. "Makes me miss Aiya."

"Yeah." The silence that fell over the rest of their meal was thick, but not oppressive. It was like if neither of them talked, they could hear their absent friends in the ambiance. They finished quickly and Yosuke paid, and they walked out into the strip mall again. Yosuke was humming some tune Yu didn't recognize—probably one of the tracks kept forever on loop in his headphones—and looking around without a care in the world.

So clearly, the deafening ticking of the clock was only in Yu's head. He pulled his phone out to look at the time. 1:13 pm. He had to ask. He wished there was anything else he could say, but he needed to ask.

"Hey...Yosuke?"

"Yo."

"When..." Yu swallowed. "When's your train back to Inaba? I don't want you to be late."

"Oh. That. Heh..." Yosuke stopped, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his head. "Well...I may have done something a little irresponsible."

_He forgot. It was earlier and now he's missed it. He never really had a train ticket back and now I have to buy him one. Fine, I have the money, but then how will I get to Inaba and why... _Yu pushed the pessimism away. "Oh?"

"I, uh... I changed my ticket." Yosuke paused, letting the weight of the sentence hit Yu full force before the brunet flashed his trademark sheepish grin and wink. "You seemed really lonely, and what's one day of school missed? I'll get back in Monday night and hit the books again on Tuesday. Dad thinks I got sick and don't want to risk the train trip right now."

Yu couldn't believe his ears. _Did he really... I can't..._ Yosuke was going to be here another day. He'd be here all day today and part of the day tom... "Wait." The euphoria deflated a fraction.

"Heh, I was wondering when you'd catch up to that. I told you I'd done something irresponsible." Yosuke crossed his arms and gave Yu a hopeful look. "Can I convince you to cut classes for one day? Just so that I'm not sitting in your house being bored alone?"

"Yes." The words were out as soon as Yosuke stopped speaking.

Which seemed to surprise the brunet. "Wow, that was easier than I thought. What happened to the studious, 'no I'm going to the library today' Yu?"

"Left him back in Inaba." Yu knew there was a ridiculous grin plastered on his face and he couldn't help it. "That's... I can't..." No, no he was not going to cry, that's ridiculous what is WRONG with him.

Yosuke just grinned, but there was something softer—something genuine—behind the smile that came so naturally to him. "I always talk about how much you changed me," he started, voice low. "But I think I forgot that we must have changed you, too. When you left, we all still had each other to lean on, to see every day, to bitch about homework to. But you...you didn't get any of that. And I think going from what we all had—hell, from that last fight alone!—to being alone in a city, no matter how familiar... Well, I think that'd be rough. And you really look like you could use someone around for a while. I can't push it much farther than I already am, but... I'm here for ya, partner."

Yu's vision was blurring. He still refused to let the tears fall. "I'm going to do something, and you're going to deal with it. Got it?"

"Sure thing."

Yu stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Yosuke in a tight hug, setting his forehead to his friend's shoulder. He had absolutely no clue how Yosuke was going to take this; he remembered the last time he'd hugged Yosuke and that had been...awkward, and then Yosuke had sort of half hugged him outside the hospital after they'd left Nanako. But this...

Yu could hear Yosuke chuckle through the vibrations in his chest, and the brunet put one arm around Yu in return. "You're so weird sometimes, man. Glad I made the right choice, though."

"Thank you," he mumbled, and he felt Yosuke's hand clench into a fist against his back. Taking a deep breath, he pulled away from Yosuke, shaking his head. "Sorry about that."

"I think I'll survive a hug from Yu Narukami." The wink Yosuke gave him sent any doubts he had about whether or not Yosuke was _really_ okay with this right out the window. "So hey. Now that we've got more time, where're we going next?"

"Anywhere's fine with me."

"Oh come on, pick something. I suggested the movie; you've got to have some kind of idea in your head."

"Hmm." Yu looked around, trying to place what he remembered of the city from the last time he lived here. "We could...ah!" He turned back to Yosuke. "There's a park, not too far away, that reminds me of that hill overlooking Inaba. We could grab coffee and go up there."

"Sounds like a plan, partner." Yosuke's grin was infectious. "Lead the way."

He never wanted this to end.

Never.


	5. Chapter 5

_Monday, April 16th – Clear – Night_

Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. Yosuke had hidden in Yu's room while Yu had told his parents he was going to school, but once the two had left for work (saying they'd be home late again, as always) Yu had come back in and they'd hit the town. No plan, no organization, just coffee and video games and that lookout point on the edge of the city and more stupid pictures on both of their phones than Yu'd thought his memory card could hold.

But just before dinner, they'd gone to the train station, and Yu decided he knew exactly how they all felt when he'd left Inaba the month before. Yosuke stuck his head out the window and waved until the train was out of Yu's sight.

And only then did Yu let the tears fall.

He barely ate dinner, managing only the barest of greetings to his parents when they got home, along with finally remembering to pass on the message of Dojima's call. His mother had started into some tirade about what her baby brother could possibly want to talk about but fine, she'd call him, why not—and Yu had just left them there, claiming stomach troubles and fallen back to his futon.

The pillow Yosuke had borrowed was still on the floor near Yu's futon. It hadn't been put away with the spare futon. Irrationality won out over logic as Yu picked it up by a corner and pulled it over to him. It had lost most of the musty closet smell over the past two nights, now just smelling like Junes-brand shampoo and the last traces of whatever cologne or body wash or whatever Yosuke used that made him smell the way he did.

..._since when did I notice that Yosuke had a smell? God, what is __**wrong **__with me?_

It was a nagging thought in the back of his mind, something that had been there since...he couldn't even remember. New Year's? Christmas? Something that didn't quite line up right, something saying that this wasn't what he thought it was, a terrifying little voice that wanted to know why Yosuke always called him 'partner' and what he meant by it...

And he'd ignored it. He liked girls—he knew he liked girls; there was no question about that. Nothing about his relationship with Chie had been forced. He'd been genuinely interested in her, and it hurt when they'd broken up. And yes, there was a pang of jealousy when he'd heard that she was seeing Kou. It was right alongside his feelings that they'd make a good couple, and he was happy for the both of them.

And then there was her.

He sighed, fishing his phone out of his pocket and bringing up his messages. If he could talk to anyone about any of this, it'd be her. _Hey, you available? _He knew she'd asked him to call once Yosuke had left, but...

The message came back quickly. _CAN U TALK?_

Yu chuckled, but there wasn't any mirth in the sound. _Don't know how well I trust my voice, but sure._

Another moment passed, and his cell phone buzzed, the Detective Loveline theme playing. He'd never tell Naoto that was her ringtone, but even if he did, he wasn't sure she'd mind. He cleared his throat and answered the call. "Guess that answers my question."

"You know I told you that you could call at any time," the soft voice came back to him. "I did mean that truly. It would be a rare circumstance that would prove more important to me than your call."

Yu had no idea how to categorize his relationship with Naoto. In many ways, it had fallen into their laps, at a time neither of them were prepared or expecting it. They'd been solving a 'case,' as it were—determining who the Phantom Thief was, getting her belongings back. Sure, she'd asked at one point if he thought it was odd that she spoke in such a low tone, and did he like it when she spoke higher? He'd answered honestly, that it didn't much matter to him, but he did like the higher voice. It had been so innocent.

But when he'd seen that knife in the man's hand... Of course he didn't know it was her family butler at the time, or that it was a plastic knife; all he saw was someone threatening Naoto and a sharp pain in his chest that told him he couldn't let anything happen to her. He had found himself in front of her before he remembered moving. Distantly, he heard her insisting that it was fine, the knife was fake, what on earth was he doing... but it wasn't until the man had run off and left the knife behind that the blood stopped rushing in his ears and he realized what had happened.

He was seeing Chie. He loved Chie. So why had he just thrown his life in danger for another woman? He tried to tell himself it was because she was a friend, she was on the team, she was important to him, hadn't he already risked his life saving her from her Shadow, how was this different?

But they both knew it was different. And they stared each other down on the stones in front of the shrine, and knew exactly what he couldn't say. He'd managed to say "I" before she stopped him and had taken off running. All for the best; he wasn't sure he'd have been able to say more.

After that, it had turned into a strange mix of dating and decidedly-not-dating. He'd spent Christmas with Chie, and a few days later had shared an awkward but sweet afternoon with Naoto on the steps of the shrine. They'd exchanged presents, sat watching the snow fall, tempted fate by letting his arm rest around her. Valentine's Day had been much the same; he'd spent the day with Chie, and then a few days later had gone back out to Shichiri Beach with Naoto, watching the waves and eating the chocolates she'd made. Yu spent time with everyone; nothing was suspicious. But that didn't stop them from feeling like they were doing something wrong.

Which to be fair, they probably were.

He'd deflected the issue entirely by giving all of the girls he was close to presents on White Day—all of them handmade. _I think you're all worth my best_, he'd said, and they'd all insisted that _that wasn't the way it worked_ but seeing Naoto's expression relax and the small smile she'd given him had been worth it.

Chie had asked once, near the end of February, if there was another girl. Yu had stammered and insisted that no, no one else was even close, why would she think such a thing. Chie had smiled and shook her head. _It's fine, you know. I'm not going to __ask__. I mean, it's kinda sad, but...I trust you. And besides, any relationships got to be hard when you know you're moving away, right?_ He'd agreed that it was hard, but that he was glad she trusted him, and she didn't need to worry, and when he kissed her he felt sick because was he lying, was there really no one else, what was he doing?

Naoto had come to him about two days after White Day, her hat twisted in her hands, and had told him that they needed to remain friends only from that point on. She wasn't interested in a long-distance relationship—not that they'd ever been in a real relationship but he knew what she meant, didn't he—and none of this had been fair to Chie and she couldn't stomach it anymore, no matter how much she... Her sentence trailed off, but he knew what the words unspoken were. They'd spent most of their time not completing sentences, because they knew they shouldn't. "_This is the first time I... Well, matters of the heart are still difficult." "It isn't fair. If you...mm. Never mind." _She'd given him a tight hug, and they'd gone their separate ways.

The next night, he and Chie had split up. He still had to convince himself some nights that the two events weren't related. They wouldn't have worked long-term, and they both agreed on that. Chie wasn't sure about a long-distance relationship (_either, either, either_) and neither was he. He didn't regret either decision, particularly now that Chie and Kou were together. He'd need to talk to her about that. ...He really should have called her before now.

He brought his attention back to the call at hand. "I know. I just..." He sighed.

"I understand." That was what he liked the most about Naoto. She heard the words unspoken almost as well as he did. "How was your visit?"

Now he could manage an honest smile. "It was wonderful. I don't think I really realized how much I missed everyone until he was on my doorstep. But...I've missed you all a fair bit even without the reminder."

"Mmm." He heard her take a breath, then something rustling in the background. "And we you. The school is truly not quite the same without you." A beat. "The same could be said, I suppose, of Rise-san."

"I bet. Your class must be a lot quieter now, right?"

Naoto chuckled. "Much of the school is quieter now, without the local idol to keep them roused up." There was a beat of silence, comfortable in its commonness between the two. "Naoki Konishi is regularly attending classes again."

"Mm, I heard," Yu responded, closing his eyes and letting his free hand run over his face. "I also hear that he and Yukiko are together."

"They are...something of an item, yes," Naoto mused. "The rumor mill does appear to confirm that he confessed to her—or she to him, I haven't determined which, and they are spending an unusual amount of time together. However, I will not make definite speculations as to at which what stage their relationship rests." Yu laughed softly, and he could almost hear the detective blush. "Why are you laughing?"

"The way you speak. I guess I've just missed hearing it." Naoto made a soft noise of protestation, but didn't seem inclined to add anything further. The memory of a backlight flickering in the dark brought his next comment. "Yosuke saw that watch you made me."

"...O-oh." Now it was for certain that she was blushing. "What did he say?"

"Not much. I'll admit to panicking a bit and probably not convincing him that it was nothing." He opened his eyes, the image of the display clear as day in his mind's eyes, just as it had been since the train left. "Apparently it has a sync station back in Inaba."

One beat...two beats of silence, and then the detective figured it out. "Ah. ...Well, I s-suppose that's n-not entirely wrong. That is...it _is_ indicating it's out of range, and what it's out of range from...is in Inaba."

This time, the silence wasn't as comfortable. Yu fished for a different topic—deciding on one which might not be safe, but was one in which he was interested. "So, now that Rise's gone, it's just you and Kanji in your class, isn't it?"

"Wh-what...I mean, y-yes, I suppose so." He'd flustered her even more, which lent some veracity to his suspicion.

"How are you two getting along?" Yu tried to keep his tone light, but he knew all too well that Naoto would be able to hear the amused smile edging its way onto his lips.

"W-we get along perfectly adequately, as we always have." The shuffling came back, and Yu tried to discern if she was at her desk moving papers around, or on her futon as he was, and was shifting uncomfortably. Each was just as likely.

"Mmm," was all Yu offered.

"And what exactly do you mean by that? Don't think I can't hear you laughing at me," she huffed back at him.

"You two seemed to be close by the end of everything last year. I was just curious if anything had come of that." Yu tucked his free hand under his head, opening his eyes again to stare at the ceiling.

"I... we..." Naoto couldn't pick a sentence to finish. "Kanji-kun and I made a complimentary fighting team, and as such, we grew closer as the situation warranted. I see n-nothing beyond that to comment on." Her voice wasn't nearly strong enough to back up her claims. "We remain cordial in classes, and have little reason to see each other outside of that. Any conversation we have is stilted and short."

"You could make a reason to talk to him."

She didn't answer for a moment, longer than Yu had expected. He'd never been certain how Naoto actually felt about Kanji, putting aside the latter's massively evident crush on the detective. _Maybe I made the wrong gamble here._

"I...don't...know." Naoto's voice was halting, a strain in it he hadn't heard in quite some time. "You...are qu-quite aware of my difficulty with comprehending emotions. I haven't... I haven't discerned what my emotions are in relation to him. It's..." He heard her swallow, and the rustling again. _Futon. Has to be futon._ "It's complicated. Difficult. And I still have my doubts that what any of you have implied about him is true."

Of course, the massively evident crush was only evident if your name _wasn't_ Naoto Shirogane. "It's okay, Naoto," he murmured. "I'm sorry to push, I didn't mean to make you this uncomfortable."

"N-no, it's...it's fine." She sighed. "You are quite possibly the only person I could conceivably talk to about this. And...if I'm honest, it's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you."

"I jumped the gun." Yu smiled.

"And you always say that I'm the intuitive one." He could hear Naoto smiling as well. A moment of silence passed, and this time, she broke it. "What..." She cleared her throat. "What about you?"

"Hm? What about me?"

"Narukami." Even in that stern tone, she couldn't hide the amusement buried in her voice. "I am sure you know full well what I mean."

Yu chuckled, then shifted a bit in his futon himself. "If you're wondering if a city girl has swept me off my feet in the past month, I can safely give you a resounding 'no' on that." Naoto didn't respond, as if she was waiting for something more, and Yu's stomach gave an uncomfortable twist as he swallowed. "Do you... Can I ask you something?"

Naoto's voice was soft and calm, as ever. "Of course. Anything."

"Do you think..." _How am I going to phrase this... _"Do you think it's possible...to..." He groaned, tugging at his hair best he could with his hand trapped under his head. "Okay, let me use an example. When we all met you, we thought you were a guy. A kind of disconcertingly cute guy, but a guy." She chuckled in response. "Then when we fought your Shadow, obviously we found out you weren't. But...you were still cute."

There was a pause before she answered. "We've now clarified that I confuse people's sexualities."

"See, but that's what I mean." Yu brought his hand out from under his head and swung it into the floor, frustrated. "Can you... can someone just be attracted to one person...?"

Another pause. "You mean can an otherwise heterosexual male have sexual feelings for one particular male, and not the rest of the sex?"

_She's so clinical._ But as much as it made him blush, it was exactly what he was trying to ask. "Or...is that weird?"

A soft noise, and then a sigh. _It sounds like she sat up._ "No, I think that falls consistently in the spectrum of sexuality. It... From my research, the topic is not nearly as black and white as most people assume. Sexuality is as personal as many other topics, from gender to movie preferences." Another pause. "I assume this isn't something you've discussed much."

"Just to you." Yu's voice was barely above a whisper, but he was sure she could still hear him.

"Because you fear rejection?"

Yu couldn't respond for a moment. "I don't..." His throat closed up, and he had to clear his throat several times to clear it. "I can't lose him."

"Mm. A fear of damaging the friendship by unrequited feelings is certainly a risk to be considered in a situation such as this. Particularly when there is...sufficient evidence to indicate that a confession may not be taken as hoped."

The calm tone Naoto always used while she analyzed a situation was working to keep Yu calm, but the last sentence jolted him. "Wh—I didn't..."

Naoto chuckled. "I am a detective, Yu. However, it doesn't take a detective's intuition to hear how your voice changes when you discuss him. Also, since you were previously inquiring about my own potential entanglement with Kanji-kun, it hardly stands to reason that you would be discussing him. And as the only other male in our immediate group of friends is Teddie..." Yu choked, and Naoto laughed. "Precisely. You have not indicated any other particularly close male friends, and thus my deduction was simple." Her voice softened. "However, I find it unlikely that you would jeopardize your friendship with this."

"How...?" Yu's voice could barely make it out of his throat. "You've heard him...around Kanji..."

"It is not uncommon for those uncomfortable with a situation within themselves to project the polar opposite. Kanji-kun himself is a prime example. When he is most comfortable around a pair of knitting needles and kittens, he was uncomfortable being open with that portion of himself for fear of rejection. Thus, he composed the version of Kanji-kun we all met, complete with leather jacket and foul attitude."

"But...Risette...Yukiko..."

He could hear Naoto tsk. "You were in a romantic relationship with Chie-san. You have expressed an interest in my own appearance, and to my memory, both Rise-san and Yukiko-senpai's as well. To be blunt, Yu, I don't think you have a leg to stand on."

She was right, in that regard. True, Yosuke had been more vocal on the subject, but it wasn't like he wasn't interested in women primarily as well. Still... "You seem so sure."

"I have spent a significant amount of time around both of you. I was being honest in my earlier messages when I said that he seemed to miss you the most of any of us, and that I cannot imagine anywhere else he would have rather been this weekend. If...if it was not reciprocated, I imagine he would be flattered, and it may be uncomfortable for a short period of time, but I think..." Naoto paused, then sighed softly. "I think he would be just as worried about losing you as a friend as you are, Yu."

Yu groaned softly, covering his face with his hand again. After a pause, he let out a huff of air that might have tried to be a laugh. "I can't believe I said all of that."

"I'm glad you trust me enough to confide in me." He could hear Naoto's smile. "But, Yu..." A beat. "Have you really accepted all of this yourself?"

He paused, his breath catching in his chest. "What?"

"I humored you for the sake of the conversation, but you haven't actually _said_ anything. You allowed me to draw conclusions and defined nothing yourself. Are you saying all this to convince yourself, or me?"

Yu took a deep breath—_forced_ himself to breathe again—and held it a moment before slowly exhaling. "I don't...there's never..." He grumbled, making his brain pick a sentence and finish it. "There's never been another. Another guy. I... I've just been trying to ignore it, telling myself it'll go away."

"I can assure you, Yu-kun. That never makes anything easier." A beat. "Consider it a Shadow."

"A...what?"

"You do remember what Shadows are, yes?"

"Naoto..."

She laughed. "This is a piece of yourself you are unwilling or uncomfortable with facing. Much like my gender and age, Rise-san's sense of self, Kanji-kun's desire to be accepted outside of societal norms. This is a piece of who you are that frightens you, that you aren't familiar with how to accept or come to terms with. You will become stronger by accepting that this is merely a portion of who you are, and admitting it to be a piece of the greater you."

"Mmm." He had to admit, the analogy wasn't far off.

"Out of any of us, you are the strongest. I have always believed that, and this moment does not dissuade me from it. As such, I want you—now, here in the dark of night, alone save for the voice on the other side of the phone—to tell me precisely what you have been hinting at. No work-arounds, no fancy terminology, no dodging the question. What are you feeling, right now?"

Yu's throat closed up, and he swallowed hard. "Naoto..."

"Senpai." She was serious; she'd reverted to more formal terminology. "This is a part of you. You need to accept it."

There was a long silence before Yu spoke, and when he managed the words, they were barely audible. "I think I'm in love with my best friend."

"With who?" the detective's voice gently nudged.

Yu's eyes clenched closed, a single tear tracing down the side of his face to his ear. "I think I'm in love with Yosuke."

He heard her breath out, and could envision the small smile on her face—the one she always had when some piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. "And you are stronger for saying it. How do you feel now?"

_If it's honesty she wants, it's honesty she's getting. _"Terrified enough to be sick to my stomach."

"I think that's normal." A shuffling on her end, and he assumed she'd laid back down. "Now. What do you plan to do about this?"

"I don't know." That came out significantly weaker than he'd wanted it to. "I don't even know where to start."

"Are your parents still resisting you coming to visit for Golden Week?"

Yu growled, a sharper reaction than he'd expected. "Yes. Despite Yosuke's best efforts to convince my family that I had a potential job offer at Junes, they were unmoved. I can't say I'm surprised, but I had some hopes."

"Mm. My offer for a police escort back to the city stands. I could very easily make it look like you were needed in some kind of proceedings for Adachi's case. I also believe I could convince your uncle to help."

At that, Yu finally managed a smile again. "That I'm sure of. He wasn't impressed when he called the other day and heard that my parents want to keep me in the city for university research over Golden Week."

"As well he should be. It's absurd. Even I can manage to go a week without working." When Yu didn't respond, Naoto sighed. "At least most of the week. I _am_ capable of taking a vacation."

Yu chuckled, sighing as he rolled onto his side. "I miss you, Naoto." It was barely more than a whisper.

"And I you. And while it may be poor substitute, you know that I—as well as all of your other friends—are merely a phone call away." A beat, and he could hear her stifle a yawn. "Unfortunately, I believe for the time being, I will have to leave you to your thoughts. We both have school in the morning, and we should both be well-rested." Another beat. "Think about what I've said, Yu, will you? The sooner you find it in yourself to broach the topic with Yosuke-senpai, the better I believe it will be for you."

Yu held his breath. He didn't want to think about trying to tell Yosuke. He didn't want to think about how his friend—his best friend—would take a step back, laugh nervously, say something like '_Hey, I...where did that come from, partner? I mean, I thought you were just kidding before like at the group date cafe, I mean, I'm not really into that...'_, would find a hasty exit and leave Yu by himself... "I'll think about it."

"By think, I do mean 'attempt to come up with a viable plan of action,' not 'berate yourself with potential negative outcomes and convince yourself that Naoto was mistaken about this whole idea.'"

That got a full-fledged laugh from Yu. "Am I that easy to read?"

"No, it's merely what I would have been doing in your case." She chuckled. "Get some rest, Yu. Feel free to text me at any time tomorrow, or in the future."

"Same to you. Sorry to steal your conversation. We can talk about your love life next time."

She breathed out her soft laugh. "Such that it is. I'll consider that a plan. Good night, Yu."

"Night, Naoto." The line went dead in his hand, and he set the phone to the side, making sure his alarm for school was set.

She was right. This was no different from facing down a Shadow...this just happened outside of the TV World. With consequences that could make or break his closest friendship. But wasn't that true of any Shadow? He took a breath, closed his eyes, and tried to sleep.

He was going to Inaba for Golden Week, even if Naoto and Dojima had to drag him there.


	6. Chapter 6

_Wednesday April 18th – Sunny – After School_

Yu had successfully managed to avoid his parents for the entirety of Tuesday. He'd claimed illness at school and had run into little resistance aside from a few additional assignments from teachers. However, he knew all too well that they were going to want to talk to him about the job prospects they'd mentioned earlier, and they weren't going to wait forever.

_I shudder to think of what they've come up with._

Yu wasn't sure when it had happened, but there had been a complete loss of communication and understanding between him and his parents. He didn't think it was new to this year, but it seemed difficult to remember what home life had been like before Inaba. (Hard to imagine any life before Inaba, honestly.) Had he just not cared? Not noticed? Been content to go along with whatever his parents said, never questioning what _he_ actually wanted in life?

_It would make sense. A fear of being alone would lead to being eager to please, to blend in. Was I really that naïve?_ It was starting to seem so.

And his parents wouldn't listen. Yu was certain they believed they had his best interests at heart. They wanted their son to be successful and comfortable. The only trouble was, they believed that he wanted to live like they did. That he wanted a large house and to travel all over the world and border on extravagance.

Honestly, a manager position at Junes wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him. There was a university not too far from Shichiri Beach that had what seemed like a promising psychological degree. If there was anything Yu felt he specialized in now, it was psychology and helping people to confront and cope with troubles they had in life.

_Is that close enough to a doctor to convince my parents? I doubt it. It's not nearly a prestigious enough university. They'll want me to go to Kyoto or Tokyo._

His mind flickered back to Shu, the young man he'd tutored. The pressure he'd felt from his mother, the constant battle toward Tokyo University... _If only he could see me now._ Something needed to give, and it wasn't going to be him.

"Hey, Narukami!" As he passed by the school gates, a couple of his classmates flagged him down.

He walked over, hoping to hide his confused expression. "Hey, what's up?"

"You like concerts, man?" The tallest of the group, whose family name he was fairly certain was Kato, waved a handful of papers at him.

"I...have been to them, yes. Why?" He shifted his bag on his shoulder.

"You doing anything this Saturday after school? Matsumoto had to bail on us, so we've got a ticket open. Figured we'd ask you."

_Yes, since no one else has made any move to speak to me, it's entirely logical that you ask the sudden outcast._ "I...I'm not sure, guys. I'm still catching back up to the workload here."

He made to leave, but Kato called after him. "Your loss, man—they're pretty sweet tickets for that idol's comeback tour."

Yu froze. _Comeback...?_ He turned around, and Kato had a knowing smile etched on his lips. "Idol?"

"You know, Risette. The one who got sick or whatever and went to live in some middle-of-nowhere town for a while. She's making a stop next city over; it's a pretty short train ride. You're not gonna find these anywhere else, dude."

Yu's mind was racing. _If those are genuine..._ "You buy them yourself, or pick them up from someone else?"

Kato scoffed. "All me, man. Passing up seeing Risette from this close to the stage? No way. Kanamin's fine and all, but she's no Risette."

"Mm. Let me check something really quick." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and prayed to the gods she'd answer her phone. _Don't be busy, please... _

_Hey, is it true you're making a stop near me on this tour?_

"Who you texting?" One of the others in the group—Mishima, he was fairly certain—peered toward Yu's screen.

He pulled the edge up. "Just checking about a few details. I have a...mm. Connection."

Their eyes lit up. "Dude! You got connections to Risette?"

He'd successfully hidden the fact that he'd gone to Inaba specifically from his classmates, so they had no reason to know that he had a rather direct connection to the idol—though how none of them had seen the Junes concert video was beyond him. "You could say that."

To his relief, his phone buzzed a moment later. s_enpai~! i was wondring if youd come~ 3 u need tickts? i can get bkstge pass 4 u! awwwwww senpaaiiiii miss u so much xxxx_

Rise was the same as ever. He smiled, typing back a response. _A few guys from school are offering me a ticket. I suppose four or five passes would be too many...?_ It was a gamble, but knowing Rise, she'd be willing to bend a few rules to see him. It was mean of him, he thought, to use her this way.

Then again, he didn't think Rise would see it as him using her.

His classmates seemed to be content to watch him wait for texts. _Odd._ His phone buzzed.

_ooooh, senpai got popular his new school! nething 4 u senpai, u no that 3 i'll have the passes w8ing frnt gate 4 u. so excited 2 c u! {-,-'-_

Yu smiled. _I owe you one._ He sent it off, pocketing the phone and looking up to his classmates. "I think I can certainly make the concert, and may have gained access to backstage passes for us. They'll be waiting at the main gate for us when we arrive."

Kato's eyes shot open wide. "Seriously? Man, how the hell did you manage that?"

Yu just kept the same small smile. "Like you said, I have connections. Where should we all meet up?"

The guys were floored. "Uh...uh, let's just all meet up here at the gate, and we can go to the train station from here. Sound good?"

"Sounds good." Yu waved, heading off. "I'll see you all later."

Once about halfway back to his house, he checked his phone again. Of course, Rise had texted him again. _yah u do! don't ge all alone like I wanted~ but i guess makin ur friends jelous is good 2 ;D_

Then, timestamped a few moments later: _u make good friends there?_

He sighed, responding. _Not exactly. I'm a last minute addition to their concert trip, and most of the student body just ignores me. I'd known I wasn't incredibly popular when I moved, but still._ The class had reacted when his teacher had announced that Yu was transferring. They'd been upset. The class had started to get some cohesiveness, and now that was being shaken. Coming back in a year later...that cohesiveness had formed without him, and they weren't sure about letting him back in.

Rise's answer was typical. _that's so mean! ur the best friend they culd have, senpai. maybe now they'll be soooo impressd w/ u u'll have so many friends._

He didn't know how to respond. _Is that how I want to make friends? By showing off my relationship to Risette?_ Just as he went to type something, a new message came in: _ughhh that's no good either. just b fake. can i call u?_

_Sure._

No sooner had the message sent than his phone rang, an audio grab of "True Story" from the infamous video itself. He smiled as he accepted the call. "Hey there, Miss Idol."

"Senpai!" She sounded the same as ever. "Awww, it's sooo good to hear from you! I'm sorry I've been so busy."

"You're starting a career back up; I can't fault you for that. I'm surprised you have free time now." Yu was smiling again.

"Wellllll, I don't have a lot. But I wanted to talk to you! So you're coming to my show?" He could almost hear her bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I am. And my classmates were very impressed that with a few text messages I managed to get backstage passes. Apparently even with a video of our performance online, I'm still under the radar enough to be a mystery."

"You're always a mystery, Senpai." He could hear Rise smiling. "I'm glad I could do it for you, though."

"And I'm grateful you did. I'm..." He sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure why I agreed to go with them in the first place, other than I'd like to see you perform. I think today was the longest conversation I've ever had with any of them."

Rise's voice turned serious. "I'm sorry, Senpai. It must be hard, feeling like a stranger all over again."

"It's harder being away from all my real friends." He watched his feet as he walked, letting auto-pilot guide him back home. "I suppose you could probably sympathize with that."

"Yeah, it's kinda weird being back." Yu could hear someone in the background say something to Rise, which she muffled the phone to respond to, coming back a moment later. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love being back, being Risette again and knowing what that means and what it reflects in me. Everyone's been telling me my performances feel so much more 'real' now. I guess that means I'm doing it right and showing who I really am, right?" She laughed, but Yu didn't hear much humor in it. "But I miss being back at the tofu shop. I miss all our friends. I miss you."

"Miss you too, Rise. And I bet your performance is perfect." This time, her giggle sounded genuine. "I heard someone come talk to you. Back to work?"

"Yeah, soon." She sighed. "No rest for the weary. But before I go, Senpai. Have you..." She paused, and Yu's feet hit the front step of his house. "How have you been, like honestly? Are you okay?"

"I'm adjusting." It wasn't a lie, but they'd both know it was a sidestep of the truth. "I'm looking forward to the show on Saturday."

"Me too. Stay well, okay? I'll talk to you again soon."

"Thanks, Rise. You too." He flipped the phone shut and opened the door—

-only to find both of his parents already home. _Well this is unexpected._ "Yu-kun, there you are! Come in, we were just talking about you," his mother said with a smile.

_Excellent._ "Oh? Should I be concerned?" He slipped off his shoes and joined them in the living area, taking a seat on a _zabuton_ in front of the table.

"No, of course not," his father replied, in what Yu was sure he thought was a comforting tone. "Your mother and I were just discussing the best plan for us to proceed with your plan for the future."

_Best plan for us. Yes. Us meaning you, right?_ "I see. I do remember you mentioning a few job opportunities while Yosuke was visiting?"

"Yes." His father leaned forward. "I've had quite a few of my contacts reach out to me. Many of them are willing to allow you to work with them part-time through university, so that once you graduate you could step right in at an intermediate level. You'd never have to wait down at some entry-level job; you'd be fast-tracked from the get go."

"Mm. In what fields?" Yu stared at the table.

"Sato-san, for one, and Kakihara-san are the two I'd be most interested in hearing you talk to. You've met both of them, I believe."

Yu tried to remember. _Sato... Sato is a lawyer. Kakihara I...can't..._ "If I have, it's been some time. Remind me, please?"

"Sato-san is one of my closest connections at the law firm we often work in tandem with when your mother and I travel. Kakihara-san is an extremely talented pediatric surgeon and a highly respected professor at Tokyo University as part of their pre-med program. She in particular has expressed an interest in talking to you."

Yu felt his chest turn to ice. _The last thing I want is to be a doctor._ "I...I'm really not sure about med school. Being a part-time janitor at Inaba Municipal was bad enough."

His mother waved a hand. "Don't be so dramatic, Yu. You don't need to be a surgeon like Kakihara-san. There are many different opportunities in a medical program."

"And I'm not comfortable with most of them," Yu insisted.

His father leaned back, crossing his arms. "Well, I still think you should at least speak to her. I've told her she could call Friday evening, once you're back from school for the day."

Yu's eyes widened. "What if I'd been out?"

"Then I expect your plans would have changed." His father didn't even blink. "As for Sato-san, he's going to be in the area on business after Golden Week, so we can arrange for you to speak with him then. The timing should be good; you'll have plenty of time to work through practice placement exams before then."

"So I should be able to visit my friends for Golden Week?" Yu responded, glancing over at his father.

The man was scowling. "Honestly, Yu. I thought you would have given up on that by now. You have more important things to be doing with your time than wasting it in some backwater town with aimless ruffians."

"They're not aimless, or ruffians!" Yu fought to keep his volume under control, his fists clenched on top of the table. "They're friends of mine, they're hard-working, and I'd like to see them."

"And if you have time, maybe a weekend over summer break you can go back," his mother said. "Honestly though, Yu, I don't understand what you see—" The telephone cut her off, ringing in the background. "Oh, who could possibly be calling at this hour." She stood and went to the phone.

"I don't understand where this standoffish, insolent behavior has come from," his father muttered. "I thought being somewhere away from everything would help you mature, but it seems it's had the opposite effect."

"How would you know how Inaba affected me? You've never asked once what I did while I was there!" Yu was losing grip of his cool.

"And what could you possibly have gone through in that miniscule blip on the map that would have warranted bringing up? It was a quiet, safe, out of the way place for you to stay while we were gone, and a chance to connect with family you otherwise don't see all that often."

"Safe?" Yu laughed. "You must have been overseas. Or did you think that a serial murder-and-kidnapping spree were normal and safe? That watching my cousin die and through some miracle come back to life was normal? See my uncle nearly kill himself in a car accident? Watch a detective I could have trusted with my life be arrested for murder?" Yu could see his father's face going pale, but now he couldn't stop the words. "I saw things I can never erase from my memory in that town, things that got into my brain and stole my sleep for weeks at a time. Some of them still plague my nightmares. But through all of that, in _spite_ of all of that, I made some of the closest and most dedicated friends I will ever have. I learned more about myself than I ever could have here in the city. And I sure as _hell_ learned what family was like there, more than I've ever had here."

His father opened his mouth to respond, but his mother's raised voice cut them both off. "Don't you dare tell me how to raise my son, Ryotaro! You think you know him so well after a year..." She got cut off, and even from this far away, Yu thought he could barely hear his uncle's voice on the other end of the phone.

His father, however, just leveled an icy glare at his son. "We will deal with your inexcusable behavior later, when your mother is here as well. I recommend you get to your side of the house." His voice was low, just short of a snarl.

"Yes, _sir_." Yu stood and walked off, grabbing his shoes from the doorway as he went, shutting the door separating the two houses a little more forcefully than it probably needed. Standing there to catch his breath, he found he could still hear his mother's side of the conversation—and he got an idea. Darting into his own living space, he crossed to the phone and turned on his receiver, muting the microphone.

"-a little reason, Kyoko!" he could hear his uncle saying.

"You're certainly one to tell me about reason, Ryotaro," his mother snapped back. "I am the one attempting to secure a future for my son, in a—"

Dojima started talking over her. "By hijacking every choice he has? It's Golden Week, dammit! Is he asking you for money?"

"That's not the-"

"Is he truant from school?"

"Ryotaro-"

"What the hell is your problem then, Kyoko!?" Yu had scarcely heard his uncle this angry.

"He doesn't need to be trapped in that...that..." His mother was sputtering.

"Oh, I see. It's good enough for me to waste my days here, serving my community and raising a child, but not nearly impressive enough for your golden boy of a son, is that right? Inaba's too small for a Narukami child? We're not _good enough_ for him?"

"No! You're not!" Yu's eyes widened, and Dojima had no immediate response. "What you chose to do with your life is your fault, Ryotaro. But you followed your poor lovely wife-"

"Don't you _dare_ bring Chisato into this."

"-into smaller and smaller opportunities until you were obsolete. Inaba's nothing to be proud of, Ryotaro, and I'm sorry that you think that it is. But Yu can be so much more, and I'm not letting him make your mistakes."

"It's not your _damn_ choice what decisions he makes!" Yu could hear Dojima's fist smack down on something. Likely the table. He wondered what Nanako was doing. "He's a smart young man; let him make his own mistakes."

"And risk him tumbling into nothingness as well? I won't stand for it. He's staying here for the holiday, and that's final, brother. If you're lucky, we may allow him a weekend this summer. But don't get your hopes up." He heard his mother's line click off, then his uncle hiss a "Dammit!" before hanging up his own line.

It was a moment before Yu thought to turn off his own line, and another before he realized his face was wet. One more and he knew why his eyes were burning.

Numb, he returned the phone to its base, walked into his room, and stared at his futon. _I have to set that up._ A moment passed.

He walked back out of the room and lay down on the couch, eyes staring blankly toward his darkened TV screen. _How am I going to convince them to let me go to the concert? ...I just won't tell them. We're leaving right after school. They're never home that early. ...Except for today._

_I don't care. I won't tell them and I'll just go. I'm not interested in what they think anymore._ If nothing else, today had solidified that his parents didn't know him anymore, and weren't interested in changing that. They were ready to morph him into whoever they wanted him to be, and to hell with anyone who thought differently.

Including him.

_Naoto... I may need that police escort after all._ He curled up and closed his eyes, feeling too broken to move to his futon. He could just sleep here.


	7. Chapter 7

_Friday April 20th – Sunny – After School_

Yu's feet dragged. He knew what was waiting for him at home, and he didn't want to deal with it. He barely knew Kakihara-san. If they'd met, it had been years ago; he didn't even have an image in his head for her. Every time he tried, he just saw Sayoko—and her last name hadn't been Kakihara, so he knew it couldn't (though some wonderful stroke of fate) be her.

He pulled out his phone, staring at the screen before bringing up his messages. He hadn't gotten many messages from anyone back in Inaba save for a few from Yosuke on Tuesday complaining about school, but he wasn't willing to wait for this one.

To: Yosuke _So guess what my parents have in store for me today?_

Maybe Yosuke wouldn't be working. He'd mentioned that he'd picked up more hours at Junes, which made sense really, but it did mean that he was less likely to respond to texts in any kind of quick fashion.

His conversation with Naoto still bounced around in the back of his head. _Think about what I've said, Yu, will you? The sooner you find it in yourself to broach the topic with Yosuke-senpai, the better I believe it will be for you. By think, I do mean 'attempt to come up with a viable plan of action,' not 'berate yourself with potential negative outcomes and convince yourself that Naoto was mistaken about this whole idea.' _But how was he supposed to say something like that—and to Yosuke, of all people? Yosuke, who'd wanted to run in terror from the moment he saw the bath house. Who'd done nothing but mercilessly pick at Kanji for his Shadow's actions and behaviors, who'd made such a fuss at the camping trip... Sure, Yu had been hesitant about the bath house himself, and he'd asked questions along with Yosuke on the camping trip, but... He hadn't really _known_ Kanji yet at that point. Yu had done more than his fair share of apologizing to the blond about that, though Kanji had always taken it in stride. _I know, don' worry, Senpai. I treated people like shit too, 'cause I didn't really know 'em. Easy t'make assumptions when all ya seen is that Shadow jackass. Sides, damn near questioned myself a few times. An' you haven't been a complete ass about it, either. Seriously, don' worry._

Part of Yu wished that he could talk to Kanji about this. Naoto may have turned out to be a girl, but he at least had the experience. But _that_ was not a conversation he was sure would be comfortable for either of them.

A buzz in his hand brought him back to the present, and he looked down at his phone, a smile coming easily to his lips. Looks like Yosuke wasn't working.

_o dam UHHH iunno, u gonna B a soldier? NO an accountent. ant? f it I cant spell. astronot?_

Yu laughed, pausing to lean against a nearby fence. Home wasn't going anywhere.

_Not quite. I'm meeting with a surgeon from Tokyo. She teaches at the university. Apparently it is the best option I could possibly ever hope for._

Yu shut his eyes tight, trying to push back the exhaustion from his brain. There wasn't really any reason for him to be tired; he wasn't doing much. He went to school, did his homework in the library, came home, made dinner, stared blankly at the walls and then went to sleep. Even when he was working between three and six part-time jobs at a time back in Inaba, on top of schoolwork and hanging out with his friends and oh right _saving the world_, he didn't feel this weary.

A moment later, a new message buzzed in.

_o gud, u can B a dr. hang out w/ all the hot nurses 4 me lol_

Yu shook his head, still smiling. Yosuke had seen the uniform he had for working at the hospital, and had made some comment about being jealous that Yu got to work with all the nurses in their sexy uniforms. He'd made a point to _not_ introduce Sayoko to Yosuke, even after she mellowed out.

_Wonder how she's doing. Hm._

Yu stared at the screen, trying to decide how to answer. Did he brush off the 'hot nurses' reference? Make light of it? Something else? _Ugh. This must be how Naoto feels when she starts trying to really parse emotions. _

And an idea came to him.

_Psh. I will be the sexiest nurse. All others pale in comparison._

He flipped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket immediately after sending the message, pretending he hadn't just said that. It was true, most of his friends had gotten used to him saying...bizarre and occasionally unrelated statements, but... well, this was a reach. _It'll be fine. He'll laugh at it and call you weird, and life will move on. Just go home and face your parents and Kakihara-san._

No sooner had he started walking than his phone buzzed—but this time it chimed out his ringtone, rather than a notification sound. Taking out his phone, he frowned; it wasn't a number he knew. _Not like that narrows it down._ He opened the phone and set it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hi—I'm sorry to call out of the blue like this. Is this Yu Narukami?"

Yu blinked. _They're calling me...and asking...um._ "Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

"Hi Narukami-kun, I'm a friend of your mother and father. My name is Megumi Kakihara, I'm a professor at Tokyo University. They told me they might mention me to you?"

_Oh good, she's coming to me. Even better._ "Ah, yes of course Kakihara-san. I didn't realize they'd given you a way to get in touch with me directly."

"I'm sorry, I know it's rude of me, but I ended up getting caught doing something and I asked them for your number so I could get in touch with you directly. If you're willing, I'd love to talk with you today."

"Of course." The words came mechanically. If he said no, his parents would know and that wasn't a fight he was having before Golden Week.

"I'd like it to be somewhere you're comfortable; any ideas?"

Yu blinked. That wasn't expected. _Places I'm comfortable here in the city...?_ "The park by the overlook?"

"Perfect! I'm still en route to the city, but I should be there in...oh, ten, fifteen minutes?"

"Sure. I'll meet you there." It wasn't much longer of a walk. "I'll talk to you then."

"Sure thing, Narukami-kun." The line went silent, and he pulled it back to stare at it for a moment before closing it and returning it to his pocket. _That was...strange._ Her voice was more animated, more...friendly than any of the other 'friends' his parents had. And he was certain the others were going to want to meet on their terms, not a casual talk at the park.

But he could figure that all out later. For now, he needed to get walking.

Arriving at the park, there was a tall, slender woman sitting on a bench near the overlook, clearly watching the people coming and going. No one else looked like they could be a surgeon and professor at a university, so he made his way to her.

She smiled and stood as he got closer. "Narukami-kun?"

"Kakihara-san." He gave her a bow and her smile grew as she bowed in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, the pleasure's mine, Narukami-kun. Would you mind if we kept things casual? Hearing all the honorifics just makes me feel old."

_You're friends with my parents!?_ It didn't seem possible. "O-of course. Just Yu is fine."

"Feel free to call me Meg." His face must have shown more shock than he'd intended, because she laughed. "I completed all of my higher education in America, and I guess I got more used to how they refer to each other than I thought. Coming back to Japan for the job at the university was quite a shock."

"I can imagine." His eyes were still wide, but now her informality made perfect sense. "I...I'm sorry, I just... My parents speak very highly of you, and you don't...seem..." There was no way he could make that sentence not offensive.

Meg just smiled wider. "I don't seem like their type of people?" When Yu didn't respond, she laughed. "I can understand how you would think that. Your parents like things just so, don't they?"

Yu tried not to scowl. "That is certainly one way of putting it."

"That's part of the reason I wanted to meet you like this, if I'm being honest." Meg gestured, and they both sat down. "I'll admit, I was a little surprised when your father approached me about you working with me directly. It's not uncommon, but I'd never heard anything about you considering Tokyo University before that. Really, I hadn't heard much about you at all. I met them back when I returned to Japan about 5 years ago now, when I was just working at the hospital. I was part of a team that worked with them on a project, and your father was impressed by my work. We've been contacts ever since, so I certainly knew he had a son, but I hadn't heard anything about you lately. I hear you spent a year away while they were traveling last year?"

For whatever reason, just being asked about last year made Yu feel like a weight had lifted off of his chest. "Yes, I stayed with my uncle in Inaba."

Meg's eyes narrowed in thought. "Inaba...I've heard that name. Oh, of course!" She snapped her fingers. "That's where that terrible kidnapping and murder case was happening, wasn't it? Did you get caught up in that at all?"

_Oh, if only I could tell you. _"A little. Several of my friends were thought to be targets, and two of the victims were a part of my school. Mr. Morooka was my homeroom teacher, and Saki Konishi an upperclassman. Other than that, I just heard pieces from my uncle. He's a detective with the Inaba Police Department, and had been Tohru Adachi's partner." Just saying Adachi's name brought back too many bad memories, and left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Oh wow." She covered her mouth with a hand. "You were right in the eye of the storm then. That must have been terrifying."

"It...was, at times." Yu rolled his shoulders. "But it certainly made my visit interesting. I made some excellent friends during my year there."

She smiled. "You must miss them. Have you had any thoughts of going back? Or are you fairly well set on staying in and around Tokyo now?"

Yu paused, weighing his options. "Can I be honest with you? ...And not have it get back to my parents?"

Meg swiped an 'x' over her chest. "Cross my heart. What you say stays with me."

"I hate the city." The words came out on their own. "It's my parents who want me to stay here and grow into some businessman or doctor or I don't know what. They don't ask me what I want, they don't consider my opinions, and they certainly don't want me to go back to Inaba. They think it's too small to be of any significance and there's no reason for me to go back, not even to visit. They want me to meet with people, study for tests, I don't know what else over Golden Week." His hands were clenched tight. "They never asked about my year there. I don't think they knew about the murders. None of it matters to them because it's not the dream they have for me."

"What's the dream _you_ have for you?" Meg asked, her voice soft.

"I want to go back. I want to study near my friends, I want to help people. Kumano University isn't too far from Inaba, and they have an excellent psychology and counseling program. I think I'd be good at it. People..." He sighed, not sure of how to phrase it. "They...trust me, it seems like. My classmates, other students at Yasogami, they all came to me with their troubles and I could help them work through them. I loved doing that. I...I was good at it. ...I think." Yu stared at his hands, still clenched tight. They were starting to ache, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was feeling something, and it seemed like he'd been lacking in that department lately.

"I can absolutely see you in the psychological or psychiatric field somewhere. You have that kind of personality, that kind of empathy. I don't need to know you well to see it in how you talk about your friends back in Inaba, the fire in your voice when you talk about helping people." Meg set a hand over one of his fists, getting him to look up at her. "And while I think that would also make you an excellent doctor, that's clearly not where your heart lies."

Yu shook his head. "I worked as a part-time janitor at Inaba Municipal. I got to know some of the nurses. I could never do their job."

Meg smiled. "It can be a very difficult job. Not that being a counselor or something in that field wouldn't be, but it might be a different kind of hard. A more familiar kind."

He nodded. "And one I have experience with, and would be more comfortable dealing with. But...my parents won't hear any of it, so I'm stuck. Away from my friends, my family..."

"Your home." The shock must have been written all over Yu's face, because Meg laughed. "That's no surprise, Yu. You changed into a whole different person as soon as you started talking about Inaba. You found yourself out there, didn't you? And now you've been dragged back into a place that doesn't know that—doesn't know you."

It felt like he'd learned to breathe all over again. "Yes. Exactly." His eyes were fixed on this brilliant yet utterly impossible woman sitting next to him. "I... How in the world do my parents talk to you?"

"I know what part to play around people like that," Meg replied with a wink. "And when your father started talking about bringing you to Tokyo U and working with me in the hospital for an internship or residency... I knew I had to talk to you, get to know who you actually were, just in case."

Yu was speechless. It took him what felt like ages to find words again. "I...I don't know what..." Then the shadow started seeping back into his brain. "But how... I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but how can you help me? I don't think just you telling them I don't want to do it will help. They'll just find someone else. They've got someone else lined up."

"Oh, I can work something out." Meg's response was completely confident. "At least in the short term. But Yu, I want you to promise me something." Her eyes caught his, and she didn't continue until he'd nodded an affirmation. "I want you to stop with the whole 'I'm stuck' mentality. Just because your parents want you to do something different, just because they're making things complicated for you, doesn't mean that you can't do them. Your future is up to you, and no one else. So I'm going to try and make the first step a little easier for you, and I'll stick around to see you through the rest, but I'm not going to hold your hand. This is something you need to do on your own."

_Something I need to do on my own... Maybe this isn't so different from the TV world after all._ Except this time instead of a psychotic goddess of creation complicating his life, it was his parents. Meg was a new bond, a new arcana for his Personas in a way. But now he had to take what each of those arcana had taught him and make them a part of him, rather than a new fractal vision of himself for fighting.

He was only ever hopeless when he thought the fight was lost. When he'd been isolated in the fight against Mitsuo, and believed he'd lost all of his arcana. When he'd wanted to succumb to the fog against Izanami and stay with his friends because it was easier and he was afraid of going on without them. For an instant, when he'd realized who was the main human perpetrator of all these crimes...and wondering if it was truly right to turn him in.

But then he could remember the feel of Yosuke pulling him out of that hellish dream in the game world. Remembered the horror that had set in when he'd faced down Adachi in the twisted version of Inaba, and the conviction he'd gained in knowing he'd made the right call.

Remembered seeing all of his friends grow and change, their Personas reflecting each piece of that, becoming more—becoming stronger—becoming more complete. How proud he'd been, watching them finally accept who he saw them as, no matter how often they still struggled with it.

Remembered the first time he'd called upon Izanagi-no-Okami, and watching his first Persona reflect how he felt at last.

_Time for a new fusion._

He nodded, the gesture confident for the first time since he'd come back to the city. "Yes. Thank you, Meg." He gave her a small smile. "It seems like every time I dig myself deep into a hole, someone comes along to pick me back up again and remind me of how stupid I'm being."

"That's what friends are for. And sometimes, almost strangers." She grinned back. "You shouldn't need to do anything for my plan to work, but if you haven't heard anything from your parents about Golden Week in the next few days, give me a call. You can just use the number I called you from."

Yu nodded again, then frowned, brain finally processing the situation. "You're... You're not someone my parents sent to try and fool me into doing what they want...right? It's just...I don't know, maybe I just don't believe in coincidence. Your timing's too good."

Meg laughed—which was good, because Yu wasn't sure if that would offend her or not. "I can understand that. I promise, I'm not a secret spy from your parents. Just someone who's a little more observant than them, but from what you're saying...that's not hard to do." She turned to face him directly, and he shifted to match. "I'm not working any magic here, Yu. Like I said, I'm going to give you the chance to make the first move, and from there you're going to have to fight this on your own. Just know that you have people who will back you up, even here in the city."

He swallowed. "Why are you doing this? For a kid you barely know?"

"Because I remember being your age, trying to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go." She leaned against the back of the bench. "My parents didn't want me to go to America. They wanted me safe and sound, where they could keep one eye on me the whole time. I knew that wasn't where I needed to be, so I made it happen. I didn't meet with quite the...insistent pushback that you seem to be dealing with, but there were definitely fights. And if a few white lies can help you make the choices I got to make...well, then I think it's worth making your father mad at me." She winked.

Yu couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. For everything. For listening, for doing this for me...for risking going against my parents."

"Don't worry about it, Yu. I'm glad to help. And..." Now her grin turned mischievous. "If the psych field doesn't work out for you, I'll still have a place for you in Tokyo."

Yu finally laughed. "And I might take you up on it at that point."

Her smile didn't dim, and he could finally see a glimmer of hope. "So, Yu Narukami. Tell me about this home of yours, this town that rocked the world on its heel last year. What makes it so special to you?"

She made it far too easy to stay out too late and come home past dinner time.

But he didn't care.

He finally had a plan.


	8. Chapter 8

_Saturday April 21th – Cloudy – After School_

By the time school ended for the week, Yu wasn't sure he wanted to go to this concert anymore. Sure, he was looking forward to seeing Rise, but he didn't care about the people he was going with. And if Rise was predictable—and she usually was—then she was going to make a huge fuss about seeing him, and then the guys would never leave him alone.

Funny, he'd been complaining that he was being ignored, and now he didn't want the attention. In all honesty, it was just the attention that being around Rise garnered that he didn't want. Flashbacks from Marukyu haunted him. No one needed or wanted that kind of attention, least of all him. But...he didn't want to bail on his classmates, and he really didn't want to bail on Rise.

So at the end of the day, he walked down to the gates and joined his classmates, forcing a smile when they greeted him and followed them to the bus.

'''

Luckily, no one tried to make conversation with him on the way there. They were all content to talk amongst themselves, and Yu watched the world go by his window. Suddenly his phone buzzed and he jumped, feeling his heart leap into his throat. _Please don't be my parents. Don't let them have picked today to be the one day they care where I am._ He tapped the screen, looking for a sender name.

_Yosuke. Oh thank God._

_HEY! sry I didnt reply yesterday, phone died. BUT w/e u say, dude. u do u_

It took a moment for Yu to remember what Yosuke was responding to—and as soon as he made the connection, he felt his face burning. _Oh. Right. Sexiest doctor._ Luckily (he supposed) Yosuke had let it roll off his back and hadn't made a big deal out of it.

Maybe Naoto was right. Maybe Yosuke wouldn't freak out.

Maybe this bus would start flying too. That was just as possible.

To: Yosuke _It's okay. I was talking to the doctor most of the evening anyway. Might be good news._

He'd let Yosuke stew on that for a while, he thought with a smile. How a meeting with a doctor would be good news would confound him to no end.

Just as he was about to slip his phone back into his pocket, one of his classmates turned to look at him. "Almost there, dude. Ready?"

"Yeah, sure." He tapped a quick _will be away from my phone for a bit, catching Rise's concert_ to Yosuke and then switched the phone to silent, tucking it into his pocket. The bus cruised to a stop a few moments later and the group shuffled off.

"So, Narukami." Kato looked over at him. "You sure you wrangled those backstage passes?"

"Yeah, I can go get them. They should be at will call." The group walked over and Yu waited in the line until finally the man working at the counter stared up at him.

"What's the name?"

Yu blinked. He had no idea whose name Rise would have put them under. _I guess it wouldn't make much sense if she put them under hers...?_ "Ah, probably under Narukami, Yu?"

The man flipped through a series of envelopes, eyebrows furrowing. "Don't see that name."

Yu could feel his stomach sinking. _Oh no, come on, Rise..._ "They...well, they aren't concert tickets, I guess. They'd be passes? Rise—I mean, Risette said she'd put some aside for me."

The man's eyebrows rose in disbelief, but he turned in his chair, rising to look at a different table in the back. There were larger packages back there, but a smaller number. A moment passed before he lifted the edge of an envelope and turned his head back to the window. "You said Narukami?"

"Yes, sir." Yu let out a sigh as the man picked up the envelope and headed back.

"Looks like five all access passes?" he asked, and Yu nodded. "Here ya go. Pre-show meet and greet is almost over, but once the concert ends you can head to the door on house right on the edge of the stage and show your passes to the guards. They'll take you back to the meeting area."

"All right, thank you so much." Yu picked up the envelope and headed back to his friends, holding it up with a smile. "No problems."

"You are seriously awesome, Narukami." Yu handed out the passes and Kato clapped him on the back. "We owe you one, man."

"Don't worry about it." Yu shrugged it off. "We'll all get a chance to meet Risette after the show, and you guys don't have to worry about anything. I'm just glad to help." They walked in and found places to stand with a good view of the stage, and waited. _It'll be interesting to see Rise live after everything in Inaba. I haven't seen much of her tour on TV._

'''

Unsurprisingly, Rise's show was flawless. It was clear she was more comfortable in her skin than she had been before, and her smile looked so much more natural. Yu still didn't know most of the words to her songs, but she played "True Story," so he hummed along under his breath. He couldn't tell if she could see him from the stage, but it did look like she'd grinned at him a few times. It was hard to tell.

When the concert ended, he and his classmates dutifully tromped over to the house right stage door and showed the security working there their passes. He let them through, indicating a room at the end of the hallway on the left. The other guys insisted that Yu walk in first, so he tapped on the door, hearing a very familiar soprano voice respond, "Come on in!"

He stepped in, letting the others file in behind him. Rise was seated at a lighted dressing table, peering at something on the shelf in front of her, but as the door opened she looked at the mirror, seeing Yu reflected back at her. A wide smile spread across her face as she turned to the group—but Yu could tell that it wasn't her standard smile. She had something up her sleeve. "Hi hi! You must be Narukami-kun and his friends!"

_Ah. She's pretending not to know me. Thanks, Rise..._ "Ah, yeah." Yu turned and introduced his classmates, who all gave short stunned bows.

"It's so good to see all of you! Inoue-san told me all about your visit. I'm glad you could all come! Sit down, guys. Do you want anything to drink? I'm dying of thirst after that set. How'd you like it?" And with that, Rise was off and running. Yu was content to sit quietly, listening to Rise natter with the other guys, occasionally pointing a question at him, but mainly just keeping conversation going herself.

Yu had no idea how long they were sitting there, but it seemed like both ages and mere moments when Inoue-san, once again Rise's manager again, poked his head in. "Risette? I hate to break this up, but we really need to get you ready to move."

"Awww, okay." She turned a pouting face to the guys. "Sorry the party's over, everyone. I had a really fun time talking to all of you!"

"Thank _you_, Risette," they all stammered back, standing to leave.

Yu had managed to get to his feet when Inoue pointed at him. "Narukami, if I can have a word with you before you go? Just some paperwork for the passes."

To his credit, none of his shock made it to his face. "Um...sure." He turned to his classmates. "I'll see you guys later, okay? Don't wait up. I don't want you to miss the bus because of me."

"You sure, Narukami?" Kato asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go ahead. I'll see you in school on Monday." Yu waved to them, and they all nodded, waved back, and vanished. Once they had all left, Inoue just smiled at Yu and shut the door.

It didn't take Rise an instant to fling herself into Yu, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Senpai, ugh that was the worst acting I've ever had to do I hope you appreciate all of that because it was awful and I hated it."

Yu chuckled, returning the hug. "I'm very grateful, Rise, thank you. I wasn't looking forward to going from a nobody to the biggest somebody in school overnight."

"Ugh, okay." She held on a moment longer and then let him go. "It's so good to see you, though! Did you like the show?"

"It was wonderful, of course." Rise's smile widened at the compliment. "I wouldn't have expected anything different."

Now the two could chat in a more relaxed fashion, catching up on what had been happening on tour, and what they'd heard from their friends back in Inaba. It was nice, Yu decided, to have someone else to talk to who understood the pain of leaving their friends behind after that year. Rise was missing Inaba almost as much as Yu was, and was incredibly jealous that Yosuke had come to visit.

"Man, I wish I could just bring all of you out here on tour with me. I guess that'd be pretty obvious though, right? And you've all got school."

"Unfortunately." Yu gave a sad half-smile. "It's too bad you're touring over Golden Week."

"I know, right? It's a huge draw, though, since everyone's schedule is free so it's always a great time for shows. I wish I could come visit. Are you going back to Inaba?"

"Well...actually, I'm not sure." He explained the situation with his parents, and then the conversation he'd had with Meg the day before. "I'm not sure what her plan is, but if she even has a small idea, I'm willing to go along with it."

"You totally should! Your parents are being awful. I'm surprised they even let you out to come here." While he'd managed to hide the shock earlier, apparently the sheepish guilt wasn't being hidden as nicely, because Rise clapped her hands over her mouth. "Senpai, do they know where you are?"

"Not...exactly." Yu scratched his head. "I didn't exactly come home from school. We caught the bus straight after school."

"Senpai!" Rise smacked his arm. "You're gonna get in so much trouble!"

Yu shrugged. "All the doors on my side of the house are locked, and the only spare key is locked inside. For all they know, I'm asleep."

"What if they got home beforehand and know you didn't come home?"

He shook his head. "I'll worry about that then. Maybe I can just say I was meeting with Meg again. I bet she'd go for that."

"Man, Senpai. I never knew you were such a rebel." She winked, then leaned in to give him a hug again. "It's so good to see you. I miss you so much."

"It's good to see you too, and I miss you too." He set his chin on Rise's shoulder.

"How's Chie?" he heard her murmur, and in spite of himself, he tensed at the question. Rise leaned back, brows furrowed. "Oh no, what happened?"

Yu cleared his throat. "We broke up a while ago, back when I moved. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it before you left."

"I was so distracted at the end of the year, I think I missed a lot. I'm sorry, Yu. I know you two really liked each other." Yu shrugged, and Rise just set her head on his shoulder. "Are you dating anyone new yet?"

He shook his head, despite the fact that she couldn't see it from her vantage point. "No, not yet. I..." He didn't want to say too much to Rise, because he knew how badly she kept secrets, but... "I've got an idea. Someone I'm interested in."

"Oooh!" She perked up automatically, lifting her head and beaming at him. "Who is it? Is it someone I know? C'mon, tell me!"

Yu bit back the smile. "I'd rather not say anything until something gets a little firmer."

"Oh come _on_, Senpai, you can tell me! I won't say anything." Yu raised his eyebrows and Rise sighed. "Okay, I know I talk a lot but I _can_ keep a secret! Come ooooon."

Yu shifted in his seat. "I'd really rather not, Rise. It's...complicated."

"Is it a guy?" The sentence dropped on Yu like a bag of bricks, and it must have shown on Yu's face, because Rise cracked up. "Oh come on, Yu, it's not _that_ big of a deal. Seems like everyone's a little bit bi out here. I don't care who you want to date. I'll just always be jealous it's not me."

Yu was glad not only for the words, but for the genuine smile that meant she was mostly kidding about that final sentence. "Y-yeah, okay. Thanks." He coughed. "And besides, I don't think I'd do well as your boyfriend, Rise. Too much of the spotlight is bad for me."

"Sure sure." She just heaved a long-suffering sigh and set her head back on his shoulder. "Well, whenever you're ready, you can tell me who the lucky person is, okay? I promise I can keep it quiet."

"Thanks, Rise. I will." _And now I have even less reason to hide talking to Yosuke. Not with both Rise and Naoto being in on some element of this...when did I get such a blabbermouth?_ He didn't think he was one to talk nervously, but maybe something in him needed the outlet. He hadn't really talked to anyone since he'd gotten here; he could be in some kind of withdrawal.

They talked a while longer before Rise arranged for someone to drive Yu home. Rise cried, Yu felt like he wanted to, but they exchanged promises to talk more often and hugged again. The car ride home seemed like it took forever, and when he got home, all he could be thankful for was that the house was dark, and his parents' car wasn't in the driveway.

He climbed the stairs, unrolled his futon, and flopped onto it. One more week. One more week, and then whatever Meg's plan was could start. One more week and he could be back in Inaba, and for just a moment, he could forget that he'd ever left. One more week.

As an afterthought, he grabbed his phone, checking the messages and turning the ringer back on. He had three messages from Yosuke.

_gud news?! awsome! wut she got planed?_

_ o OK hav fun th concert. tell rise I sed HI._

_ dont kno wen u ll be home BUT slp well. miss u, partner._

Yu felt the tears that wouldn't fall earlier pricking at his eyes, and he swallowed hard.

To: Yosuke _Good night, partner. I'll fill you in tomorrow. I miss you too._

More than he could possibly put into a text message. He plugged his phone in and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the wrenching in his heart.

He had to say something, or he'd drive himself mad. Now that he knew...he had to say something.


	9. Chapter 9

_Wednesday April 25th – Rain – After School_

No matter how long it had been since the last time he'd seen the Midnight Channel, the rain always made Yu uneasy. _Hard to believe it's been a year since all of that started._ While he could remember it like it happened yesterday, it felt like it had been a lifetime since those first days in Inaba. Walking with Chie and Yukiko, taking Chie's light-hearted jabs at matchmaking for the more serious raven-haired girl... Pulling Yosuke out of the trashcan and helping him get his bike up and running, watching Chie take Yosuke down in one kick over a DVD.

How was all of that only a year ago? How had all of that...happened in only a year?

Yu unlocked his door and slipped in, closing the umbrella as he went. _Not much homework, but enough to keep me busy for the evening. That'll be nice._ Since he ate alone and worked in the library after school, he'd rarely come home with school work. It made for a lot of reading while he was in his side of the house.

"Yu-kun? Is that you?" That wasn't a good sign. His mother's voice drifted over to him from the other side of the house, and from the sheer fact that neither of his parents had spoken to him since the fight, the utter calm in her voice meant nothing good was going to happen.

He took off his shoes. "Yes, I'm home." _As if it could be someone else._

"Can you come over here please?" Now it was certain. Something bad was happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. _Is it the meeting with Meg? Is it the concert? Did Uncle call? What's the fight going to be __about__ this time?_

Yu bit back the question, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. "Coming." He shrugged his school bag to the floor next to the couch, took a breath, and walked over into his parents' side of the house. As he'd expected—and possibly feared—both parents were sitting at the low table in their living space, across from one another so that when Yu sat down, he would have no choice but to sit between them.

Excellent.

His mother gestured for him to take a seat, and since he knew he had no other choice, he did, crossing his legs in front of him and looking calmly between the two of them. "Is something the matter?" His voice was steady, which was good, since his nerves were not.

A flicker of a glance between his parents. "We haven't spoken to you since your meeting with Kakihara-san. How did it go?" his father replied.

The fact that they didn't answer the question set Yu on edge, but he tried to keep optimistic. _They're still calm. Maybe they'll stay that way._ "I think it went well. We spoke at great length, and I know she was hoping to speak to me again in a few days." Which was at least for the most part true. He was hoping he wouldn't have to hear from Meg before Golden Week, and he was almost scot-free in that regard, but who knew.

His father nodded. "Ah yes, she did mention that when she called."

Yu's whole body went cold. _She'd called?_ Meg had said she'd call his cell, not the house phone! A distant memory hit—he'd had a missed call on his phone when he turned it back on after the concert. It wasn't a familiar number, but he didn't think anything of it. He'd saved Meg's mobile number in his phone, but what if she'd called from a land line? From her work? It could have been one of them? But why wouldn't she call back...?

Unless...

"She called?" Yu managed to eke out.

"Yes, Saturday evening. She hadn't been able to reach you on your mobile phone, and so thinking that perhaps it had died, she called the house." Yu could hear the blade of the guillotine falling, though his father's tone wasn't shifting from its calm monotone. "Imagine our surprise when we went to get you for the call, and you weren't there."

"I fell asleep early," he choked out.

His father's eyes were cold. "Which explains why you returned late that night?" Yu's face blanched. "Oh yes, I know you think you were incredibly smart, locking the spare key in your apartment and then sneaking out, but you might do well to note that just because the lights are out, doesn't mean that we are asleep."

If Yu's stomach sunk any further, it'd be underground. "I..."

"It is not so much the fact that you went out that we are upset by." His father's hands clenched into fists. "Nor is it where you went, as I truly have no interest in where you went. The fact that you thought it was appropriate to simply leave for half of a day with no indication of where you were, how long you would be gone, who you were with...that is inexcusable."

Yu sat in silence, staring at his father, when finally his voice came back to him. "I used to go into the city unsupervised all the time when I was younger."

"We knew where you were going then," his mother added.

"And all the nights I was here alone in high school?" Yu struggled to keep from yelling. "I could have been anywhere!"

"Perhaps," his father conceded. "Yet we trusted you to make intelligent decisions and be responsible even back then, to the point that we gave you our own living space when you started this year, and you have done nothing but show us the error in our ways."

"Do you have any idea of the life I've lived?" What his voice was missing in volume it seemed to be making up for in pitch. "Do you know what I've been through?"

"Oh please, Yu. Don't play some pitiful-me card—"

"You have _no idea_ what I went through last year!" His grasp on his self-control slipped and the sentence came out in a bark. "You never asked, you don't care, you can't even begin to understand..."

"Will you _stop_ harping about that worthless town!" His father's hand came down in a loud _smack_ against the table in punctuation of his emphasis, and the room fell silent. Yu was stunned; his father was never this demonstrative. "You have made it evidently clear that you think that living through a case which could have just as easily happened here in the city and you never would have known makes you particularly well equipped to handle yourself as an adult."

"You don't—!" Yu started, but his father interjected.

"Do _not_ interrupt me, young man." His father's jaw set. "Let me assure you, however, that it appears that your time with your uncle has done nothing but turn you into a petulant child, and I see no reason to treat you otherwise. Until we indicate otherwise, you will be expected to return home immediately following school, and will not be permitted to leave the house unless supervised. Your mother and I have made the sacrifice to rearrange our schedules to ensure that one of us will be home each day when you finish school, and we will reconsider the situation when your behavior has improved."

Yu was dumbstruck. "You're _grounding_ me?"

"We recognize that you are old enough to make your own decisions and mistakes, Yu-kun," his mother replied softly, "but we would never be able to forgive ourselves if we did not do everything in our power to ensure your success where we could."

Yu could only stare at her.

"I've assured Kakihara-san that I would have you call her to apologize for your behavior, and that you regret the interruption in your working with her. Perhaps I was a bit optimistic in thinking that you would be prepared for a program such as hers." His father stood. "I recommend you do that now."

Yu sat, utterly still, staring up at his father. All he could see were flashes of a life that seemed like forever ago, of a seven-year-old girl alone in a house, doing laundry and shopping for groceries and preparing meals, all while her father barely gave her a second glance. And if Dojima had ever known about him slipping out at night when he was at work, he never brought it up. The only time Dojima had ever come even close to this...was the night he shut Yu in the interrogation cell.

But even before then, Yu was doing far worse than going to a concert without letting him know, and Dojima had only given him a stern word. A night in the interrogation cell—_because he thought Yu was involved with murders._ This...

"Yes sir." Yu's voice was steel as he stood, bowed to his parents, and walked out of the room toward his own living space, resisting the urge to slam the door between them. He fished in his bag for his cell phone, finding Meg's number and punching the button to make the call.

It barely rang twice when she picked up. "Yu, I am so sorry."

He sighed, a fraction of the anger slipping away. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

"I still feel awful." He could tell from the strain in her voice. "Here I am, offering to help you, and I manage to make it even worse. I'm not sure there's anything I can do to make this any better at this point."

"I..." Yu sighed again, pulling a hand through his hair. "I don't know." He sat down on the couch. "I can't leave the house apart from school hours without being supervised, and I get the feeling they only count themselves as suitable supervisors. I'm apparently calling to apologize for my behavior, and to tell you I regret the interruption in our working together."

Meg snickered. "Of course. If I can ask, where were you Saturday night?"

"A few guys from my class in school had an extra ticket to the Risette concert. I met Rise while she was in Inaba last year, and thought it would be good to see my old friend again. She got us backstage passes." He rested his head on the back of the couch.

"Oh right, I remember seeing the commercials for that. Are your parents not in favor of outings with friends?"

Yu grumbled. "My parents aren't in favor of much. We'd had an argument a few days earlier, and I didn't think they'd be keen on the idea. They're never home, so I assumed I could go and come back and they'd be none the wiser. Shows how much I know."

Meg sighed. "That's...mm, I can't say which would have been the best idea. I'd argue that spending time with your classmates will help you in the long run with career goals, but I'm not sure they'd agree since it's a concert. I don't know. I'm still so sorry, Yu."

"It's okay." It wasn't okay and they both knew it. "Getting to Inaba for Golden Week was probably a long shot anyway."

There was a pause, and when Meg spoke again, she sounded affronted. "Do _not_ tell me you're giving up so early. Come on, where's the spark I saw in you when we met? The Yu Narukami I met would not be giving up so easily just because his parents got mad at him. Think; is there anyway you think that you can find a way out of the house?"

"And then what?" he snapped, regretting the tone as soon as the sentence left his mouth. "I...I'm sorry, Meg. It's just frustrating. Even if I get out of the house, then what? I run away to Inaba? I still need to come back here, and if they were mad about a concert, who knows what will happen if I leave the city without telling them for a week."

There was a beat before Meg sighed. "I'd offer to invent an event for you to attend with me, but at this point I think your parents would research it before letting you go, even if I were the one to bring it up. I wish I could do more to fix this."

"It's okay. I'm just..." Yu swallowed, closing his eyes. "I'm just going to call my uncle and explain what happened, and tell him I won't be able to make it. I'll find another time to get back to Inaba. I won't give up on going home, but I know a losing battle when I see one." _Time to pull back the Personas and run_, he thought grimly. _I'd rather face Izanami all over again—hell, I'd face Adachi again if it meant getting away from my parents._

"You know I'm still willing to do all I can to make sure you get back there once you graduate." Meg's voice was soft. "And if there's anything I can do during Golden Week, I'll do it. Do you at least want to 'solidify' that you want to work with me so I can tell your parents?"

Yu breathed out a mirthless chuckle. "Yeah, sure. If you can tell them."

"I'll get in contact with your father tomorrow. I'm sure I can sound properly offended and determined to shape you back into a model citizen. Give me a call if I can do anything else, okay?"

"Sure. Thanks, Meg."

"Not a problem. Try to relax, all right? Even if you don't get to leave the city, at least you'll be off school for a week."

Yu managed a faint smile at that, and they said their goodbyes. He paused for a moment, trying to collect himself before dialing the number for his uncle's house.

_Ring...ring...ring...ring..._

"Dojima household." Yu's throat closed at the sound of his uncle's voice. "Hello?"

"Ah...it's Yu." He cleared his throat.

"That doesn't sound like good news," Dojima grumbled. "What's up?"

"I've gotten into a fight with my parents, and I've been confined to the house outside of school times. Leaving for Golden Week is out of the conversation." Keeping his voice steady was nothing short of a miracle.

His uncle didn't respond for a moment. When he did, his voice had dropped into a tone Yu remembered well from the darker days of the investigation. "What exactly did you do to warrant this?"

"I went to a concert with some friends after school and didn't tell them."

Dojima sighed. "Well, it's not your brightest decision."

"And I'm not saying it is. But I'm also not willing to accept that this somehow makes me a petulant child who needs supervision for every second he's not at school. If I was going to be gone overnight, I would have said something." He paused. "Probably."

Dojima laughed. "I'd argue with you, but I remember being your age and arguing with my parents. I don't know when my sister lost that." The detective sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into her, Yu, but I'm sorry it's happening. As far as I'm concerned, you've proven to be a very mature and responsible young man, and I don't blame you for pushing back against your parents if you don't agree with them. God knows the best lessons I've learned as a father came from you, Nanako, or both of you telling me I was being foolish."

"It's okay, Uncle. Thanks." Yu closed his eyes. "If you...can you tell Nanako? I'm not sure I can break the news to her myself."

"Sure, Yu." Dojima's voice was soft, and that was almost as bad as hearing Nanako cry. "Hang in there, okay? Eventually one of us will get through to your mother, and we'll get you back to visit. They can't keep you locked up forever."

"Thanks." Yu managed another small smile. "I'll talk to you later."

They ended the call, and Yu let his hand drop back to the couch. _I have to tell my friends._ Somehow, telling Meg and his uncle that he couldn't come to Inaba was one thing, but having to tell all of his friends back there...

_Maybe I'll just tell Naoto. She can tell everyone else._

He stood, making his way to his room, ignoring the bag near his feet. Homework just didn't seem appealing anymore. He unfolded his futon, lying down on it to type out a message to Naoto.

To: Naoto _Under house arrest for the foreseeable future. Even a police escort at this point wouldn't help. I'm stuck._

He set his phone on his stomach and stared up at the ceiling. Yu had known this year was going to be a challenge. Just like it had been difficult settling into Inaba—especially since the murders started happening within the first few days he was there—it was going to be hard to readjust to the city. Add in the new house, interacting with his parents again...nothing was going to be simple.

But he'd never guessed it would get this bad.

The phone buzzed and Yu caught it before it slid off of him.

_U WANT 2 TALK?_

Yu sighed.

_Not really. Can you tell the others? I'll text Yosuke. I can't handle everyone asking._

Naoto's response came quickly.

_UNDERSTOOD. WILL TELL OTHERS. TXT IF U NEED._

_ Thanks, Naoto. :)_

Now came the hard one. If he was lucky, Yosuke wouldn't automatically call him as soon as he saw the message. If he wasn't sure he could talk to Naoto, he absolutely couldn't talk to Yosuke. His voice was shattered and then he'd have to say something to Yosuke much sooner than he was ready for.

To: Yosuke _Parents have forbidden me to leave the house unless it's for school for the foreseeable future. Golden Week is a no go._

He still had to take a deep breath to fight back the tears. _Dammit. For a place I didn't even know about just over a year ago..._ He wanted Inaba back. He wanted the quiet evenings at Samegawa. He wanted the shopping district, and the biggest store around to be Junes. He wanted a school with clubs that cared about their members, wanted a group of friends who he could trust with his life.

He wanted a family who cared what he thought. What he wanted.

His phone buzzed—luckily, a message.

_RU KIDDING?! man ur parents r DUMB. __im sry partner. that sux._

Yu smiled in spite of himself. _Yes, Yosuke. It sucks._ He went to respond, but a second message came in before he could start.

_i ws rly lookin 4wrd 2 seeing u again 2. _

His breath caught in his throat, an unvoiced sob half-hidden. His vision blurred as he replied.

_Me too. I miss you._

Part of him wanted to tell Yosuke here and now. Tell him how much he missed him, how wonderful it had been when he'd shown up on Yu's doorstep, that he couldn't imagine spending this entire year a world away from him, that he wished for so much more when Yosuke called him 'partner'... But he couldn't bring himself to do it. As weak as he was, he wanted to tell Yosuke in person. He owed that much to his best friend. If he was going to be rejected, he'd take it in person. So for now, he sent half-messages, trying to convey even a fraction of what he really meant in just a handful of words.

And when the time came, just pray that Igor had been right in saying that some bonds could never be broken.

The phone buzzing brought him back to the present.

_miss u 2. wish i cud come bk 2 the city. __inabas not th same w/out my bf._

For just a moment, Yu froze, blinking at the text. _What..._ Though he knew what Yosuke must have meant, the last sentence was standing out. Yosuke was notorious for using text slang for any word he could shorten, but usually there was only one option for what he meant.

_I wonder if he's going to catch it,_ Yu mused to himself, a smile growing on his lips.

Sure enough, a moment or two later, the series of texts flew in.

_SHIT THATS NOT WHAT I MENT_

_ best friend W/OUT MY BEST FRIEND_

_ gdit sry wow im not pyin attn_

_ u new wht I ment rite_

Yu's smile only wavered, his heart aching at his friend's words. But... _Well, he's walked himself into this. I suppose I can poke at him a little._

_ You mean you aren't confessing to me?_

He couldn't help the smile growing now. He could only imagine Yosuke sputtering at his phone, frantically backpedaling from his accidental insinuation. Yu wasn't precisely looking forward to the stream of denials from Yosuke, so he set the phone aside while he took a quick bath and got ready for bed.

As expected, there was a stream of messages waiting for him when he came back.

_Y WUD U EVN SAY THAT wht kind of dumb confession wud that B_

_ IM NOT SAYING IM CONFESSING_

_ U DONT JST SAY SOM1 IS UR BOYFREIND_

_ dmit yu __u did tht on perpus_

_ purpos? w/e u no wht i mean_

_ if im guna cnfess its not guna B ovr txt  
THAT DOESNT MEAN I_

_ gdit i hate u __SO__ much_

_ will u jst say smthing_

_ nething_

_ u wlkd away frm ur phon didnt u_

Yu couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Yosuke to find a way to put some amount of warmth back in his chest after the chill he'd gotten from the rest of the evening. _I'll put you out of a portion of your misery, Yosuke._

_ Sorry, was in the bath. Didn't want to get my phone wet. So should I expect a different confession at some point, then?_

Part of him enjoyed watching Yosuke flounder, but part wondered why he was putting himself through the pain of seeing Yosuke constantly deny Yu's insinuations. _Maybe part of me just hopes that if I 'joke' about it enough, if I ever get the courage to actually tell him, it won't come as a complete surprise..._

There was a long enough pause that Yu wondered if Yosuke had just given up on talking to Yu—which wouldn't have shocked him—but then just as he crawled onto his futon, his phone buzzed again.

_u wish._

Yu's heart jumped into his throat, barely breathing. _How...how do I respond to this?!_ He tried to take a breath, and just barely succeeded. _Just stay calm, Yu._

_And if I said I did?_

It wasn't _exactly_ saying anything, but it was just enough of a hint. He had absolutely no idea how Yosuke was going to take that, but at least now there was a definite enough clue that Yu could reference back to it if...no, when he told Yosuke.

He had to tell him eventually.

It felt like hours before his phone buzzed again.

_gd nite, partner._

He released the breath he'd been holding. He'd take a deflection over a rejection, especially tonight.

_Good night, Yosuke. Sleep well. :)_

_ U 2._


	10. Chapter 10

_Saturday April 28th – Evening – Clear_

Yu hadn't spoken with his parents at all since the argument on Wednesday. They'd spoken to him, telling him they'd received Meg's call and were proud of his decision to be mature and continue working, but he'd never responded. He'd nodded, bowed, and returned to his side of the house. Yu had no idea what they thought of his new behavior, and they made no mention of it. He went to class, came home to do his work, fell asleep. None of his friends contacted him; he wasn't surprised. It would be just as painful for them as it would for him to talk to them, knowing he wasn't going to see them. Even Yosuke had been quiet.

Yu felt numb. This was his life now. Living someone else's life...until he could find a way to escape. Maybe Meg would find a way, maybe she wouldn't. Maybe the Shadows would come back and eat his parents. Who knew.

If only he could still access the Shadow world. Just a nudge...

_That's awful, Yu. Don't even joke about that._ Even with as angry as he was, he couldn't imagine pushing his parents into a TV. _You're not Adachi. You're not Namatame. You know better. _Even if he didn't want to, he knew better. And he didn't want to find his parents dangling from a phone pole.

He'd seen enough of that to last a lifetime.

He stared at his kitchen, trying to muster up the energy to find some kind of food for dinner. _I need to eat something. Even if it's just ramen, I need to eat something. ...what I wouldn't give to be able to just call Aiya._ He'd never tracked down an equivalent in the city, and he regretted that now. It probably wouldn't take long to find, but that was more effort than he wanted to put into food. Ramen would be easy.

_Or miso. Miso is easy too._

He'd made it as far as standing up and taking a few steps to the fridge when there was a knock at the door. Yu blinked, trying to place where the sound was coming from; it didn't sound like his door, but he couldn't be sure. He walked over to the door into the main hallway and opened it, not sure if his parents were even home anymore to answer—then of course remembering that of course one of them was home. He was here, wasn't he? A jailer had to be here.

His mother had gotten to the door just as he'd opened his, and she slid the door open...

And Yu couldn't breathe.

"Big bro!" Nanako pushed her way past her father and aunt, careening toward Yu to tackle-hug him, arms tight around his waist. "I missed you so much!"

Now the numbness had taken on a whole different quality. _What...?_ He set a hand on Nanako's head—solidly there; not a hallucination—and looked over at his uncle. Dojima, for his part, was staring down his sister and not paying the kids much mind. After what seemed like ages, he pulled Nanako back so that he could kneel and give her a proper hug, tight to his chest. "Hi Nanako. I missed you too."

"Ryotaro, I hope you have a damn good explanation for this," Yu could hear his mother say, ice frosting each word.

"I think I do, Kyoko." Dojima's voice was steel. "And I think you know full well what it is."

"You have _no right_, Ryotaro. _No right_ to walk in here and _inform me_ as to how to raise _my_ son." Yu's mother's voice was getting louder, and he was distantly grateful that his father wasn't home. These two shouting would be bad enough.

Dojima wasn't rising to the bait. His voice stayed just as even as ever. "If it was just that, I wouldn't have come all the way here for it. But this goes beyond just parenting choices. This is asinine."

Yu took a breath and looked at Nanako. "Why don't you and I go sit in my part of the house until our parents are done fighting."

"Okay. You have your own house?" Nanako easily switched from the hug to holding Yu's hand as he walked them both back through his door, shutting it softly on the angry voices.

"Kinda! See?" He indicated around him. "The house is split in two, so I get my own part and my parents get theirs. It's a little like starting to live on my own."

"It seems lonely." True to her nature, she wandered to the kitchen and opened his refrigerator. "You don't shop very well."

Yu managed a laugh. "No, I guess not. I used to be better at it when I was living with you and your dad. It's boring cooking just for one person, though."

"Do what I used to do! You can cook for two, and then have leftovers." She smiled back at him, and a weight lifted off his shoulders, a feeling of warmth rushing in he'd been missing for days now. "Except for you, you're not expecting a second person." She laughed, eyes closed in a smile.

"Maybe I will, Nanako. Maybe I will." He started to ask her something else, but his mother's voice cut through the walls.

"You are _insane_ if you think I am going to _let_ you do _anything _of the sort!"

Yu's eyebrows rose. His mother was practically shrieking, something he didn't think he'd ever heard her do. He glanced at Nanako. "Do you know what your father's trying to make her do?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm. He wants to bring you back home for Golden Week. He said if she wasn't going to see reason over the phone, he'd just have to come take matters into his own hands."

_Back home_. Now there were words he missed. Yu could hear Dojima's tone in Nanako's voice, and the smile came easily. "That sounds like him. Let's just hope he wins."

"I hope so too." She walked back over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist again. "I miss you a lot, big bro."

"I miss you too." He hugged her back, then moved so they could both sit on the couch. "I miss everyone in Inaba. I don't really like the city anymore."

"Can't you come back?" Nanako looked up at him, eyes pleading. "I know Dad would let you stay! You can just go to school there again!"

"I wish I could." His heart was breaking, looking at that face. _Trust me, Nanako. I'd be back at Yasogami in a heartbeat if I could._ "But my mom wants me to stay in the city. It's been a while since I was here with her." He wanted to finish that with "and she probably misses me" but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. He couldn't lie that blatantly to Nanako.

Nanako tilted her head. "But...if you're not happy here in the city, shouldn't your mom want you to go back so you could be happy? Even if that means going away from her?"

_Good question, Nanako._ Yu had to close his eyes for a second. "I don't know. I'm not sure my parents and I really understand each other. Remember how it used to be with you and your dad, when he was always gone and didn't listen to you? When he hid at work because thinking of your mom made him sad?"

She nodded. "Are your parents hiding from something too, big bro?"

"I wish I knew," he whispered. Nanako wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, which he was all too happy to return. It was true—it drove him crazy that no matter what he did, he could not figure out what made his parents tick. What was their motivation? Was there something in it for them he just wasn't seeing? Or were they just such insufferable control freaks that the thought of Yu making his own decisions was utterly unacceptable?

But then how could he explain the rest of his life? As long as his grades stayed up and he didn't get into trouble at school, his parents had always ignored him. It seemed unlikely that they'd been playing a huge waiting game up until now, just lurking in the background until they could strike and mold him into whatever they wanted him to be.

But...that left the year in Inaba unexplained. True, they had been absentee parents, but there hadn't ever been someone else "interfering" in their plan—no other parental figures. Dojima would put a damper on that, if that was in fact the case. And given how much his mother and his uncle were fighting about this now, it seemed unlikely that somehow, they'd accepted Dojima to back them up.

_So what happens now?_ For all of the joking he and Naoto had done, he hadn't actually expected a police escort of any kind. So for his uncle to be here, fighting his case to go back to Inaba...he'd never expected anything like it.

Part of him was surprised Yosuke hadn't chimed in on this. Or Naoto. Or any of his friends, really.

Or all of them.

Why couldn't the real world be more like the Shadow world? Not with all the fighting and terror, but with Personas and Social Links and things that Yu understood. He knew how to deal with the problems he faced with his friends. He didn't know how to deal with his parents—uncommunicative and obstinate and unwilling to let him do anything to help.

If only he had a Social Link to break with them. Not that he wanted to relive the soul-wrenching distress like he had with Adachi, but it would mean he'd at least have something somewhere to show that the relationship had changed...even if it was only in his mind.

"Big bro?" Nanako's voice broke through his thoughts and he looked down at her. "It'll be okay." She set her head on his arm. "No matter what, it'll be okay."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's all we need to remember, right? Everything will be okay." Yu set his chin on the top of her head. _Honestly, there's more truth in that than she knows._ If everything worked out last year—at least for one definition of working out—then he'd be able to work out this year with his parents. "It'll be fine."

The voices of the adults out in the entryway had quieted down. Yu wasn't sure if his uncle had taken his mother into a different room or if the argument had stopped, and he truly wasn't sure he wanted to know which was the truth. _Who wins this fight? _In his heart, he wanted Dojima to win. He wanted to go back _home_, back to Inaba.

But his mind knew his mother would win. His actual guardian, the one who had legal control over him. And for all the hope in his heart, there was a part of him that had already given up.

It had to have been at least half an hour before there was a soft knock at his door. "Yes?" he called, unwilling to move from his safe cocoon on the couch with Nanako.

The door cracked open and his father's face peeked in—surprising Yu, since he hadn't thought his father was home. "You have a spare futon for your cousin, don't you?" His father's tone gave away nothing, keeping his voice far too level for Yu's liking.

"Y-yes?" Yu blinked.

"Ryotaro and Nanako will be staying with us for the night before returning to Inaba tomorrow. We'll house Ryotaro on our side, if you can set up a futon for Nanako."

Yu nodded, hesitating for only a fraction. "Of...of course."

His father nodded and left again, shutting the door behind him. Nanako and Yu exchanged glances, each as unsure as the other. "Do you think...?" she asked, voice little more than a whisper.

"I don't know, Nanako. We'll see. For now, let's go set up a futon for you. I've got a guest room you can stay in."

Nanako's smile was blinding in how excited she looked. "Okay! Maybe I can make you sunny-side up eggs for breakfast in the morning!"

Yu could have burst into tears. "I'd love it if you would."

–

The two had set up the futon and were sitting in the guest room talking about all the fragments of memories from Inaba he had on the bookshelf when Yu heard a knock on his door again. "Come in; the door's unlocked," he called out.

The door opened and a moment later, his uncle appeared in the doorway, face a perfect mask. "Looks like you're all settled in for the night."

Nanako grinned up at her father. "Big bro says I can make him sunny-side up eggs in the morning!"

Dojima's lips quirked in his typical half-smile. "Sounds good to me. Think I'll be able to come over and get some too?"

"Of course!" Nanako looked over at Yu. "Do you have a coffee maker, so Dad can make us coffee?"

Yu nodded. "Yeah, of course. That'd be nice, if he's willing." He looked over at his uncle.

Dojima nodded. "Coffee and eggs sounds like a good way to start a travel day. It'll be crowded, since it's the start of Golden Week, but we shouldn't have too much of a problem. Most people will be headed away from Inaba instead of toward it. Not too many people in the world who'd rather vacation in a boring little town like mine."

"Yeah, it should be good..." Yu's voice gave out as he thought about the way his uncle had phrased that. _We shouldn't have too much of a problem._ _Not many people in the world who'd want to vacation in Inaba._ He looked back at Dojima, who was having trouble biting back the smile creeping onto his face. "Wait, you didn't..."

Now Dojima just let himself grin. "She's not happy about it, but I know how to argue with my sister. We'll catch a train tomorrow morning, and I'll get you a ticket back on the 6th."

Yu couldn't breathe. _He can't be serious._ But one look at that smile and he knew that his uncle wasn't that good of a liar. He wouldn't tease about something like this. "I...but..." Yu could feel tears pricking at his eyes. "How?"

Dojima rolled his shoulders. "Let's just say I remember more of our childhood than your mother would like to admit, and try as she might, she doesn't have a firm leg to stand on to keep you here over the holiday. Besides, I had a little help from an outside source."

Yu blinked. "Outside...source?"

"Your friend Meg called me Thursday evening, saying that she was fairly certain you needed an intervention. We spoke to the gentleman your parents wanted you to talk to, and he was perfectly willing to reschedule a meeting for after the holiday. Turns out he wanted to be somewhere else too." Dojima winked. "And if Kyoko wants you to study so damn much, we'll study before you go to sleep each night—since I know your friends will want the rest of your time."

Yu's vision was completely blurry, and he couldn't force the grin off his face. "I...yeah, I guess. Thank...thank you. Thank you so much."

"Eh, you're family, kid." Dojima tousled Yu's hair. "I try to look out for my own." He shifted his weight back toward the door. "Nanako, it's about time you headed to bed. Don't let your cousin keep you up all night, okay? We've got a long day tomorrow."

"And I need to make breakfast!" Nanako grinned, nodding. "We'll go to bed soon, right big bro?"

"Right."

"Night, Yu. Night, sweetheart."

"Night, uncle."

"Night, Daddy!"

How he managed to keep the tears from falling until after his uncle had left, he'd never know. But Nanako gave him a hug, they settled down for the night, and for once, Yu didn't dread waking up in the morning.

Tonight, he knew his dreams would be sweet.

_I'm coming, Yosuke._

A/N: Hey everyone! I am SO SORRY that this took forever. There's a million reasons why, not the least of which being that I got a job and my schedule got completely borked. Then there was November and the National Novel Writing Month and that was all of THAT month, and now it's December and I defended my masters thesis on the 11th so there was a bunch of work to be done on THAT...

And now it's all done, and I'm trying to find my way back into writing. I won't make any promises for when Chapter 11 comes out (since my schedule is still really weird, with the holidays coming up) but I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE STORY. I promise that I will finish it! Promise promise promise.

I just hope this chapter lives up to the wait. Thank you all so much for being patient with me!


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